


Let Me Make You Proud

by WhiteCatInDisguise



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Saporians strike again, Varian is caught in between
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 38,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23683714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteCatInDisguise/pseuds/WhiteCatInDisguise
Summary: When Saporians escape the dungeons, it's not the revenge they're after. That doesn't mean our alchemy boy can get a rest, however, as he is dragged into a long-lasting battle between two kingdoms.Takes place after Cassandra's Revenge and goes Canon-divergent afterwards.
Relationships: Ruddiger & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 139
Kudos: 232





	1. Maybe I Make Things A Mess

“Thank you, have a nice day!” The bell over the door to the apothecary jingled, as they opened and closed, letting the client out of the shop. 

He was carrying a lot of bags, packages, bottles and vials full of strange-coloured materials. He turned around and almost fell, his shoppings swaying dangerously in his arms. He stumbled, trying to both stop his fall and not let any of the things he carried leave his arms. There was a chitter, and a racoon quickly climbed up his body and stabilized the tower of ingredients. Varian let out the sigh of relief.

“Thanks, Ruddiger. You’re a lifesaver” He smiled at his friend. He tried to pet it, but the packages swayed dangerously again, and they barely managed to save all of them again. “Phew, I don’t want to think what would happen if any of those fell. Some are really unstable and need to be handled with utmost caution.”

The racoon chittered and nodded its head in agreement. He positioned himself on the boy’s shoulders, ready to stabilize the tower, if needed. 

“I can’t wait until we’re back home. I have so many ideas I can use them for.” Varian babbled as he continued down the road. “I could finally finish that recipe I am working on, the one used for laundry. Or create more of my goo-bombs, never know when I’ll be needing those. Or-”

He stopped abruptly, as he fell into someone in front of him. The ingredients swayed dangerously again. Varian and Ruddiger rushed to make stop them from falling. They both released a sigh of relief when they were stabilized again. 

“I- I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Varian apologized to whoever he fell into. “I actually don’t see much, with all that stuff and everything.” He chuckled nervously. 

“Don’t worry about that.” The voice that answered sent a chill down the alchemist’s spine. It was familiar, and not in a good way. He gulped and took a few steps back.

“O-Okay, then. If nothing happened then I’ll be on my way. I have lots of work, my dad’s waiting for me to come back, and-” He babbled, continuing to move away. Suddenly, his back hit something and two strong hands grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Oh, you should stay, Varian. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.” The items he was holding lifted from his hands and levitated away, uncovering a man standing in front of him. 

He had dark-tanned skin, black hair and black beard. He stood confidently, his arms crossed on his chest and a sword hanging by his side. 

“A-Andrew. Long time, no-” The alchemist tried to play it cool, but stopped abruptly when faced with a tip of the sword just barely inches from his nose. 

“Long time, in deed ” Andrew agreed, smirking at the younger boy. “How long was it? Five months?”

“It was actually six months, three weeks and five days, but who’s counting.” Varian chuckled nervously and tried to move away, only to be stopped by the strong hands keeping him in place. “We-Weren’t you supposed to be in jail?” 

“Yes, but thanks to you, we’re free as birds.” Andrew took back his sword and brushed it with his finger. 

“Thanks to me? I don’t remember-” Varian protested but Andrew shushed him quickly. He reached to his pocket and produced a vial with very familiar green-luminescent liquid. 

“Your fast-melting acid sure comes in handy in situations like this. Especially, as a clue to the guards searching the cell.” The Saporian explained with an evil smile. 

Varian felt his blood draining from his face. If the guards find HIS potion in the empty cell with a melted lock and the prisoners gone…

“W-Well, it COULD have worked, if you didn’t tell me about it ” He said, trying to sound tough but his voice cracking somewhere in the middle. “Now all I need is to tell Rapunzel and-”

“Oh, but who said you can tell anyone?” Andrew cut him in again and came closer. “After you helped us escape, you couldn’t have stayed behind, right? This would be unwise. You could be caught, or worse…”

The pressure on Varian’s shoulders strengthened and he swallowed nervously. 

“Rapunzel will never fall for it!” He exclaimed confidently. 

“Oh, yes. Princess Rapunzel. The protector of weak and unrightfully accused citizens of Corona.” Andrew laughed, followed by three other voices. “Too bad she’s more focused on other problems. Like a traitor friend.”

“Cass is not a traitor!” Varian shouted in anger. 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” The Saporian shrugged his arms and turned around.” Well, enough chit-chat, we need to move. Kai, grab him. Clemetine, get his things. We don’t want to leave any UNNECESSARY evidence.” He ordered. 

Varian tried to fight, but the large Saporian was much stronger than he was. With no problem he grabbed the alchemist and threw him over his shoulder. 

“Hel-!” He tried calling out, but a sword to his throat proved to be enough to stop him. 

“One sound, and I won’t be so nice.” Andrew threatened. “We need you alive, but we can skip the undamaged part.” 

They moved fast through the back streets, emerging at the empty square somewhere in the outskirts of the town. In the middle, ready to go, stood a hot-air balloon with one more Saporian inside it. 

“Took you long enough!” The Saporian woman scoffed, eyeing Varian. 

“Relax, we’re just in time for-” Andrew started but an angry shout from behind cut him in.

“There they are! Don’t let them escape!” Captain of the Royal Guard cried, pointing his sword at the group. 

“Get in!” The leader ordered and took out one more potion from his pocket, this time a pink one. “Varian says hi!” He laughed as he threw the potion at the incoming guards. 

There was a large cloud of pink smoke, and the guards were glued to the ground with a large dose of pink goo. Andrew laughed and caught the rope from the balloon, which was already several feet in the air. 

Varian looked with a growing fear as the guards on the ground became smaller and smaller with each passing second. He didn’t have time to think about it too much, though, as he was forcefully grabbed and thrown to the floor of the balloon. Ruddiger scrambled to his side and he hugged him defensively. 

“Wh-What do you want from me?” He asked, his voice trembling in fear.

“Oh, you’ll learn soon enough...” Andrew replied, playing with the blade of his sword. 

He crouched in front of the terrified boy and leaned in so close, Varian felt his back pushing the wall of the basket outside. The Saporian smirked and smacked the boy’s cheek in a playful manner.

“Don’t open your eyes so much or they’ll fall out, kid.” He laughed and the others quickly joined in. 

“My-My dad will notice I’m missing.” The alchemist tried again, his stuttering making him sound like a scared five-year-old. “I was supposed to be back home soon."

“I am sure the Royal Guards will be more than happy to enlighten him how his son helped one of the most dangerous criminals escape from the dungeons.” Andrew smirked as he stood up and walked to the other side of the basket. “What do you think will be his reaction?”

Varian opened his mouth but no words came out. He looked down and hugged Ruddiger, still sitting on his laps. He imagined his father’s face, painted with sadness. It was a face he’d seen so many times already, everytime one of his inventions blew up or didn’t act like he designed it to. Disappointed. 

He felt Ruddiger reaching out its paw and touching his cheek. He felt his eyes watering but managed to stop it. He didn’t want to cry, not in front of these people. But it didn’t stop him from feeling he’d failed his father once more. 

'It would have probably been better if I wasn’t born', he thought with a heavy heart, as the balloon moved further and further away from the capital of Corona.


	2. Maybe You're Right To Have Doubts In Me

Rapunzel was walking down the corridor, books in her arms and a familiar tune on her lips. Pascal sat on her shoulder, swaying gently to the melody. 

“I tell you, Pascal!” The princess stopped humming and looked at her loyal friend. “Today will be a great day. I can feel it!”

The chameleon squeaked in agreement as they continued down the hall. Suddenly, they heard rushed steps and a small group of guards ran in the opposite direction. She quickly moved aside to let them pass, her eyes following their route with a puzzled expression. Giving herself only a moment to decide, she turned around and ran in the direction she saw the guards moving to. With a heavy heart she realized they were going to the dungeons, where many more guards, along with the Captain, Eugene and Lance already were, all looking very troubled. 

“Captain? What’s going on?” She called out, approaching the group. All the faces turned to her but she ignored it. 

“Your Highness” Captain said, surprised. “Why are you here?”

“I saw guards running off somewhere, so I figured something must have happened” She truthfully replied, Pascal nodding in agreement. 

“Well, it seems we have a rather delicate situation…” The man scratched his neck as he eyed one of the cells. Rapunzel followed his gaze and inhaled sharply, as she noticed his concern. The lock was completely melted and the door stood open, showing an empty cell. 

“Whose-?” She started but Eugene cut her in. 

“The Saporians” He said in a dark voice. She felt her face whitening in fear. 

“But how? The lock is melted!” She asked, trying to understand what’s really going on. “The locks in dungeons are made of iron, and it doesn’t melt unless it’s exposed to really high temperature or-”

“We’ve also found this in the cell” One of the guards produced a small glass vial. On the bottom were a few drops of awfully familiar green-luminescent mixture. 

“Varian’s melting acid…” She whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. “But how-?”

“It looks like the alchemist helped them escape, Your Highness” Captain said matter-of-factly with stern gaze. 

“No, that’s impossible” Rapunzel shook her head in denial. “Varian wouldn’t do that”

“Would he?” Stan asked, his brows furrowed. “It wasn’t that long since he tried to overthrow the Royal Family with the help of the Saporians” 

“He HELPED us defeat them!” She argued. “He’s not going down that path anymore!”

“Blondie-” Eugene tried to intervene but the girl didn’t let him. 

“No, Eugene! You know as much as I do, Varian is not like that! He’s changed!” She cried, her eyes watering with tears of anger. “If it wasn’t for him figuring out the Final Incantation back in that tower, you wouldn’t-!”

“I’m not trying to deny it, Sunshine” Eugene rose his hands in front of his chest.

“This tower wouldn’t even exist, if he didn’t give Cassandra the Third Incantation” Pete pointed out quietly, to which Rapunzel looked at him in shock.

“She made him! She gave him his Truth Serum! He didn’t have any choice!” She shouted. 

“At least that’s what he’s saying” Another guard said, others nodding. 

“Look, Your Highness” Captain sighed heavily. “The point is, no one was there. For all we know, he could have made this all up. It wouldn’t be the first time he lied”

“But-” Rapunzel tried to argue but was shushed with a raised hand of the Captain. 

“And we can’t argue about the fact it’s HIS mixture that helped the Saporians escape” He added. “The best thing we can do now is send some guards to get him, so he can explain himself”

“You’re treating him as if he was a criminal” The princess accused with a stern expression.

“Well, technically, he is one” Lance said but Eugene elbowed him right in the stomach. He yelped in pain and folded on himself. 

“Captain!” A shout was heard from the other side of the corridor. Every head turned to the direction. Another guard quickly ran up to the man and saluted. “Saporians were spotted in the town! Few of the guards are chasing them!”

“Thank you, Dave” Captain nodded. “Anything worth knowing?”

“Yes, sir! The alchemist seems to be among them!” The guard answered. Rapunzel gasped loudly. 

“Very well, let’s get them, boys!” Captain called to his guards. “Lead the way” He looked at the guard, who nodded and they ran off.

Rapunzel didn’t even think about it. She rushed after the guards, followed by Eugene and Lance. They ran through the streets, her heart pounding. She just couldn’t believe Varian would team up with those people again. This had to be some kind of misunderstanding. 

When they arrived at the small square, she couldn’t believe her eyes. At least ten Royal Guards were stuck to the ground, the frighteningly familiar pink goo spread all over them. She looked up and saw a hot air balloon, slowly making its way up and away from the city. 

“What happened here?” Captain shouted, looking at his guard. 

“We were surprised, sir” One of them answered, while trying to free his companion. “They managed to escape before we reacted”

“And this?” The man pointed at the sorry mess in front of him. 

“One of the alchemist’s bombs, sir” Came the answer. 

“But he wasn’t the one to throw it, wasn’t he?” Rapunzel cut in. 

“No, Your Highness” The guard confirmed. “But he was with them. I would recognize him and his raccoon anywhere.”

“Thank you, that will be all for now.” Captain stopped any more questioning from the princess with a stern gaze. “Get rid of this and report to me afterwards. I need to let the King know about the whole situation.”

He quickly turned around and left, leaving heartbroken princess among all the chaos. 

“I… I don’t understand...” She said, looking around. “Varian wouldn’t do it. I’m sure of it!”

“I get it, Sunshine, but look around.” Eugene sighed in defeat. “Whether you believe it or not, kid’s landed neck-deep in a full-blown shit.” Some of the guards gasped at the language bu Rapunzel ignored it completely, too angry about all the accusations.

“No, I won’t believe it! I know him, Eugene. He’s not like that. Not anymore!” She cried and looked at her boyfriend with resolve in her eyes. “And I’m going to prove it!”


	3. Maybe, But Nevertheless

Rapunzel nervously played with her fingers, while she listened to the Captain’s raport. Varian’s mixture took its time to dissolve, so the guards were able to finally leave the square only once the sun has set. With everything going on, the Captain needing to interview each of his subordinates, it was only the next day he was able to present the case to the King.

Rapunzel was sitting on his right side, getting more angry by the second. Everything inside her boiled as she listened to the Captain’s explanations, of how Varian helped the Saporians escape. Truthfully, he did mention it’s just a theory, as they don’t have enough proof, but everything so far seemed to only worsen the boy’s situation. One of the guards claimed he came to the dungeons few days ago, asked to help with strengthening the locks in the cells. It was only for a few minutes, but there seemed to be a time when he was alone, as the guards left for some kind of errand. 

“So he could have give the Saporians the acid at that time?” The King asked, his brows furrowed. 

Frankly, he didn’t know what to think about the situation. He didn’t remember the boy working with Saporians before, but was told it happened while he was under the memory spell. He sighed heavily, Quirin’s son brought more trouble with him than it was worth. 

“There is such a possibility, yes.” Captain nodded his head. “Although we’re lacking proof to say for sure-”

“So you’re accusing him only based on your speculations?” Rapunzel didn’t manage to hold her anger. She completely ignored her father’s disapproving glare. “Excuse me, Captain, but for all we know, he could have been abducted AND framed by the Saporians!”

“Princess, with all due respect.”Tthe man sighed and turned to face her. “The boy’s been more trouble than not since the time you met him. I don’t need to remind you, he threatened you, your mother and the whole of Corona with all of his inventions.”

“But it was also his invention that SAVED Corona from the red rocks!” Rapunzel argued, standing up. “If it wasn’t for him, we don’t really know what could happen! You can’t possibly want me to believe-!”

“That’s enough, Rapunzel!” Her father’s voice boomed in the room. “If you can’t listen to the Captain’s report in silence, I must ask you to leave.”

“But, dad-!” The princess quarreled.

“Leave, Rapunzel.” The King ordered in a stern voice. “We will talk about your behaviour later.”

Rapunzel humphed and stormed out of the room, making sure the door shut loudly behind her. Angrily, she stomped back to her room and fell at her bed. 

“Ugh, why does he never listen to me?!” She cried, turing to lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. Her gaze fell on one of the paintings she draw, portraying Varian and Ruddiger after the whole ‘Varian incident’, as she called it. A quiet knocking snatched her out of her thoughts. 

“Blondie, Sunshine, you okay?” Eugene peeked inside the room and noticed her laying on the bed. She smiled slightly and sat up. “That bad, huh?”

“You have no idea.” She exclaimed as he sat down beside her. “Now they believe he somehow gave them the acid when he came to reinforce the locks in the dungeons few days ago!”

“Well, do they have any proof?” He asked, although he already knew the answer.

“If their prejudice is any proof at all...?” She threw her hands in the air in desperation. “Am I the only one who sees he really changed?”

“You always see good in others, sweetheart.” Eugene shrugged and embraced her. “That’s one of the reasons, why I love you.”

“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly and stood up. “But we need to prove, he’s innocent. Will you go to Old Corona with me?”

“Hey, I’m always up for a roadtrip with the woman of my dreams.” The man laughed as he stood up. 

They didn’t even reach the main door, when they saw a familiar figure at the end of the corridor. He’s just left the throne room, closing the door behind him. 

“Quirin!” Rapunzel called out, as she spotted the man. She ran up to him, curious. “What are you doing here? Oh no, did they black rocks threaten Old Corona again?!”

“Your Highness...” Quirin looked surprised but remembered to bow in respect. “No, Old Corona is fine.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid for a moment.” The princess let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that reminds me. Is Varian home? I need to talk to him.”

Quirin’s eyes widened and he quickly turned his gaze away. 

“No… he’s not there…” He replied quietly, avoiding eye contact. Rapunzel looked confused, but then her gaze moved to the locked door of the throne room.

“...What did they tell you?” She asked, her brows furrowed. There was a silence that followed and made her heart hurt. She reached out and grabbed his hand, so much bigger than hers. He looked up to her in shock. “Whatever it was, it’s not true. I don’t believe it” She said confidently. The man smiled slightly. 

“Thank you, princess. I just don’t know what to do.” He sighed and looked back at the door. “I came here, searching for help in finding my son. I didn’t expect to be told so bluntly he’s accused of helping wanted and dangerous criminals escape.”

“Look, I know Varian did some bad things in the past…” Rapunzel started, to which Eugene coughed, something that sounded a little bit like  _ understatement _ . “But I also know he helped us with many other things. He’s not a criminal!”

Quirin smiled and squeezed her hand lightly. 

“If you learn anything, please, let me know.” He asked. “I’ll help you anyway I can.”

“I’ll remember that.” Rapunzel smiled back and let go of his hand. She and Eugene watched the man leave the castle, a resolve growing in her heart. She will find Varian and prove his innocence. 

~~~~

Varian looked around the room he was in, feeling anxious. Sometime during the flight, he was tied up and blindfolded, probably so he wouldn’t see where exactly were they going. He felt the balloon landing hours later, Kai picking him up and taking… somewhere. He was put inside the room, untied and left alone for what seemed like another set of hours. He was glad for Ruddiger’s company. He was sure he’d go mad on his own in no time. 

He had no idea why would they kidnap him, if only so he doesn’t tell the guards what really happened. When he thought about it, he didn’t really understand why would they go to such extent, only to frame him. It wasn’t revenge. If it was, he would be dead by now. 

Suddenly, his train of thoughts was stopped by the sound of footsteps, coming closer with each second. The lock turned and the door to the room stood open, showing Andrew. 

“Do you like your new room?” He asked with a smirk. Varian sent him his most angered glare, to which the man laughed. “Well? Don’t you want to know, why you’re here?”

“Why don’t you enlighten me, then?” The alchemist spat. 

“Come on, where’s the fun in that?” Andrew shrugged. Varian humphed and crossed his arms on his chest. 

“Whatever it is that you want, I won’t do it.” He said defyingly. 

He quickly scrambled away, as Andrew took a few steps forward. He stumbled and fell backwards, but was caught by his shirt and held just few feet over the floor. 

“You don’t have ANYTHING to say in this.” He whispered, his eyes throwing daggers at the scared teenager. “You’ll help us, whether you like it, or not!”

The man let go of his shirt and Varian hit the floor hard. Ruddiger ran up to him, his terrified chittering not helping to ease the headache from the fall. 

“Better get used to those four walls, brat.” Andrew said as he stayed in the doorframe, his back to the boy. “Because that’s all you’re going to see for the next few weeks.”

The door closed shut and the lock turned again. Varian sat on the floor, trying to calm his thumping heart. Ruddiger leaned his paw on his chest, the black eyes staring into his blue ones. 

“It’s going to be okay, buddy.” He said, petting his head gently. “It’s going to be okay…”


	4. If You For Once Could Just Trust Me

It’s been already a week since his kidnapping, and it seemed he was not paid any attention at all. Well, except the occasional sound of the hatch at the bottom of the door slipping open and a tray of food being shoved inside. It wasn’t bad, he admitted, but it wasn’t good either. Bearable was the right word to describe it. 

Varian sighed as he put another spoonful into his mouth, throwing a piece of apple to the racoon beside him. The animal happily bit into the fruit, munching in delight. Seems like the apple wasn’t that bad. 

“I wonder if they forgot about me…” He wondered out loud, staring into the ceiling. It had a few cracks on it, but nothing to signify instability or the threat of sudden collapse. He eyed the door as he continued eating. 

It wasn’t like he spent the whole week doing nothing, waiting for his kidnappers to kindly appear once more. He carefully examined the door, each of the four walls, the bed, the chair and the small desk that occupied the space of his room. But no matter how thoroughly he looked, he couldn’t find anything that would help him escape. Besides, it’s not like he had anything to work with. All of his materials were either at home, or stored… somewhere. He didn’t even know where he WAS, not mentioning his materials or the way out of wherever he was kept in. 

Ruddiger finished munching on his piece of apple and nudged his leg, eyeing the last piece of fruit with hungry eyes. Varian absentmindedly pushed the plate in his direction, smiling lightly at the happy chitters that followed. 

The alchemist tried to reorder what he knew about his kidnappers and the place he was held in. It wasn’t much, though. He knew they were Saporians and, obviously, they needed him for something that connected to attacking Corona. It might be for his alchemy, but then, why wasn’t he given any tasks? 

When it came to the place, his knowledge was even lesser. The only thing he could say it was a long way from the castle, as it took few hours to get here by the hot air balloon. He couldn’t even tell which direction they flew, as he could feel the balloon turning a few times before they finally landed. For all that he knew, they might still be inside Corona’s borders and only spinned in circles to confuse him. 

He didn’t knew much about the hideout either. The whole way from the balloon to his room, he was blindfolded. He didn’t hear any voices from behind the door, too, so it might be in a secluded part of the building. There was one window in the room, but it was small and too high for him to see anything worth noticing. 

Focused on his thoughts, he didn’t even notice approaching footsteps, until he heard the click of unlocking his door. He shot upright and stared in shock at the person that walked in. It was a short and rather young girl, but at the same time she sent a vibe of long-forgotten knowledge and evil. She was all grey, and wore a big old-fashioned dress and a jewelled headwear. 

“It’s good to see you again, Varian.” The girl said in a voice that sent a chill down his spine. Ruddiger shuffled away and hid under the desk, growling quietly at the stranger. “They are treating you well, I imagine.”

“Who-Who are you?” He asked, his voice trembling. He didn’t like the way she looked at him, like he was a prey and she was a hunter. 

“Oh, I’m hurt. You don’t remember me?” She asked, putting her gloved hand over her heart and making a sad face. Except, her eyes didn’t seem sad or hurt, but rather malicious. 

Varian furrowed his brows, trying to think. It was true, the girl seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall the moment they met. 

“Sure, it was a short meeting, but I thought I made quite an impression on you.” The girl straightened her arm and looked at her fingers, seeming suddenly uninterested. 

“I-I’m sorry, but…” Varian started but the girl’s smile suddenly grew impossibly wider and she came closer, her nose almost touching his (However was that possible, he didn’t know. The girl was shorter than him,).

“Use the Sun to see the Sun.” She said in an ominous voice as her eyes stared into his frightened expression. “Sounds familiar?”

Varian stared in shock at the girl, his mind spinning faster. 

“The dream!” He gasped, his eyes widening. “But how-?”

“Oh, so you DO remember!” She quickly found herself a few steps back, a smile of approval on her lips. “I’m flattered.”

“What do you want from me? And who are you?” Varian’s hands curled into fists by his sides. 

“Oh, I assure you. You know my name very well.” The girl turned around and crooked her head in his direction. “You just don’t know this persona yet.”

“Quit with the riddles!” The alchemist shouted angrily. 

“What a shame. And here I believed you are fond of riddles.” The girl’s voice saddened. “You are known to be extraordinarily intelligent, after all.” She sighed and turned back to face him, her face showing the impossibly wide smile yet again. “Very well, my name’s Zhan Tiri.”

Varian’s eyes grew even bigger and he quickly took a few terrified steps back, almost tripping on the chair behind him. For some reason, he felt a chill in the room, the air got more stuffy and there seemed to be less light than before. To add more, the shadow of the girl rose and reshaped, turning into a demonesque figure with horns. 

“Wha-What do you want from me?” He asked, trying to stop himself from trembling but failing. 

“It’s good that you asked!” The atmosphere suddenly changed to a lighter one, as the girl (a demon, Varian had to remind himself) smiled cheerfully. “It’s simple, really. All I want is for you to use your powers to conquer Corona and the Sundrop.”

“My… powers?” The boy repeated, puzzled. “What do you-? You mean, alchemy?”

“No, I don’t mean those childish tricks of yours.” Zhan Tiri waved her hand dismissively to which Varian inhaled sharply. No one before even dared to call his inventions ‘childish tricks’, and it angered him enough to make his blood boil. “I was talking about your Moon powers, of course.”

That words were enough to deflate his anger and leave him confused again. Moon powers? What the hell this demon was talking about?

“You got the wrong person. I don’t have Moon powers, or any powers, in that matter.” Varian argued. “It’s Cass who possesses the Moonstone.”

“Oh, please.” The girl (the demon) rolled her eyes, like he said something stupid. “She’s just a nobody, who is BORROWING the Moonstone’s powers. You, on the other hand, have inborn ability to unveil its true potential.”

“Cass is not a nobody!” He shouted in anger, his fists tightening. “Don’t you dare to insult her!”

“My, such anger~” Zhan Tiri spoke in delight. “We’ll make sure to use it right in the near future.” 

“I don’t want to have anything with the demon like you!” Varian spat, sending her his most angry glare. She didn’t seem to take notice at all, already turning to leave.

“You will, in time.” She said as she put her hand on a door frame. “If I were you, I would consider my offer. After all, you know first-hand, how rotten this kingdom is.”

Before Varian was able to find the words to answer, she was already gone, the door locked and the footsteps fading away. He let himself slide down the wall and sit on the floor, his head hidden in his hands. He felt Ruddiger approaching, squeezing himself between his arms and to his laps. He petted his fur with one hand, staring into the wall.

“What have we gotten ourselves into, Ruddiger?” He asked, as if waiting for the animal to answer him. “Moon powers? What a joke!” He laughed quietly, but his laugh was tainted with fear. 

Ruddiger chittered and put his paw on his hand, as if wanting to ensure the boy of his support. 

“You’re right, Ruddiger. I can’t let this get to me.” He stood up, taking the raccoon and putting it on his shoulders. “I will play that game, if only it helps me plan our escape. And if they believe I have some ‘magical’ powers, so let them.” He grabbed the animal and held it in front of his face. “I’ll make them trust me, just watch me!”


	5. Just This Once, Let Me Come Through For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or Just Because You've Been Kidnapped And Forced To Create Weapons For Your Kingdom's Enemies, Doesn't Mean You Can't Be Sassy

Varian carefully picked up the vial with the purple-blueish liquid and placed it in the thongs, just over the small fire. He observed the potion boil, and then move up the tube to another vial, half-filled with the orange liquid. When the two mixed, surprisingly, they created the yellow-coloured potion. Varian, however, seemed happy with the result. He turned the knob under the fire off and picked up the final mixture. 

“It’s finished, Ruddiger!” He said, turning to his friend raccoon, who sat nearby and observed his master’s actions. “Now, to carefully pour it all into this ball and-”

The door slammed open and, in surprise, he let go of the vial and the glass ball, both filled with the liquid already. With a cry, he lunged to catch both items, managing to do so in the last possible moment, and, thankfully, without spilling any. He let out the sigh of relief and turned to the intruder. 

“Can’t you, people, knock?!” He asked angrily. “If any of this spilled we would have a castle-size explosion here!”

“Yeah, but it didn’t, so what’s the deal?” The man in question shrugged and entered the room. 

It wasn’t the room Varian was contained to before. That one served as his bedroom, and this one, which stationed at the exactly opposite side of the hideout, was his lab. Ever since he agreed to help the Saporians (or, at least, pretended to), each day he was walked to his lab, where he spent most of the time of the day, except for the meals. 

He’d prefer to eat here, and have some more time of solitude AND maybe figure out his escape plan, but he was practically forced into eating with the other occupants of the hideout. Which wasn’t much, as it turned out. Except for Andrew, Clementine, Kai, Maisie and Juniper, whom he knew from their past endeavour, there were only around ten to fifteen more people. Not much, considering they were planning to overthrow the whole kingdom. Yet, again, they DID manage to do that with six people last time they worked together, so…

On the side note, he didn’t see Zhan Tiri since their last encounter few days ago. And the Saporians did mention they know about his ‘supposedly’ magical powers, but preferred for him to focus on creating as many alchemical weapons as he can. Fine by him, as it gave him the opportunity to, at least partially, work on his escape plan. 

“What do you want this time, Andrew?” Varian asked, tired of the man’s constant intrusions. For the past few days he met with him twenty times already, all of which were the unexpected visits. 

“I just wanted to see, how our alchemical arsenal is doing.” The Saporian explained, looking over the boy’s shoulder. “You’re sure taking you sweet time in here.”

“For you information, one: alchemy is not magic and it needs time to work something out. And two: it would, sure, work a little faster if not for your constant interruptions!” Varian replied matter-of-factly, pouring the last of the liquid into the ball and sealing it with a well-shaped glass piece. 

“Whatever you say, kiddo,” Andrew moved back and stood in the open door, his hand on the doorframe. “But you’d better not try to trick us. You know how we take care of traitors.”

Varian flinched and gulped, remembering how it went last time, his body hanging merciselly outside of the flying balloon. If it wasn’t for Pascal, he’d be dead by now. 

“I-I’m not scared of your empty threats. You need me.” He tried to cover his fear with a brave answer, only to be met with a dangerous glare from the man. 

“Not as much as you think.” The threat hung in the air, as the door closed behind the Saporian and the lock turned. 

Varian felt his legs giving in and he barely managed to get far enough from the desk, not to destroy anything. Ruddiger was right there, already climbing up his laps and hugging into his chest. Teenager automatically closed his arms around the animal, keeping it closer. They sat like that for a few minutes, until Varian deemed himself calm enough to stand up. 

“No time to lose, buddy.” He said, as he shuffled around the table for the clean piece of paper. He scribbled some words on it, folded and tied to the raccoon’s neck with a piece of string. “Gotta figure out this escape plan later, now I need you to get this message to the princess.”

Ruddiger chittered in denial, as if trying to persuade Varian into finding another way. But the boy didn’t listen. Instead, he picked up the animal and placed it on the windowsill. There were bars in it, the spaces between too small for himself to get through, but enough for his faithful friend. Ruddiger stayed frozen, looking between the outside and Varian. 

“Come on, Ruddiger. This is important.” The alchemist tried to push the animal forward, but it dig its legs into the ground and refused to move. “Argh, Ruddiger! Go already!”

Ruddiger looked outside again, his gaze full of conflict. He yearned to be free again, but didn’t want to leave Varian alone. 

“Go, I’ll be alright.” Varian gave him one more push and the raccoon found itself on the other side of the bars. “Just be quick.”

Reluctantly, Ruddiger took few steps forward and turned around. Varian nodded his head and waved him away with a hand.  _ Go _ , his lips said but there was no sound. Ruddiger turned around and ran, disappearing into the bushes. 

~~~~

On his way back to his room, of course he was questioned about the missing animal. With stuttering voice he managed to come up with a lie: the raccoon escaped before he managed to react. There was no answer, except for the thoughtful hum, and the boy was locked inside his bedroom again. He took a look at the bare walls, and suddenly felt very alone. He was missing Ruddiger already, but he knew this was for the best. With heavy heart he made his way to his bed and lay down, curling around himself. 

He was awakened by a sudden aroused voices and someone grabbing him by his shoulders. Terrified, he looked into Andrew’s eyes, as he continued to shout threats in his direction. His mind still a little hazy, he wasn’t quite sure, what was it all about. His gaze moved over the man’s shoulders and to Kai. In his large hand he was holding something. This something was grey, black and white, and was thrashing about, trying to escape the grip. The wave of realization hit him, as his mind finally connected the dots.

“Ruddiger!” He cried, jumping up and reaching for his pet. He was stopped by the strong hand, however, and thrown back at the bed. “Let him go, he didn’t do anything!”

“Oh, really? Excuse me, if I don’t believe you.” Andrew said, looking back at the animal. “He was found in the bushes near our hideout, with this around his neck!” He shoved the piece of string in Varian’s direction. His eyes followed the fall and he spotted the makeshift collar he made for the raccoon. But the letter he’d hidden wasn’t there. 

“I-It’s just a collar I made for Ruddiger.” He tried to explain. “Sometimes I need him to bring me some material from the other side of the room, and it’s easier for him to stuff it under it than walk on two legs.”

“Is that so…?” Andrew didn’t look convinced but moved away. “And how would you explain him being outside?”

“W-Well, the bars in the lab are wide enough for him to get out.” Varian said, his mind spinning, trying to come up with a lie believable enough and not endangering Ruddiger at the same time. “He probably wanted to stretch his legs and catch something to eat.”

There was a moment of silence, in which Varian held his breath. He could almost see Andrew’s mind working, trying to figure out the lie. After what felt like eternity, he finally moved away and motioned for Kai to let go of the raccoon. Ruddiger quickly jumped down and ran to Varian, who locked him in a protective embrace. 

“Fine, you got away this time.” The Saporian leader said with a stern look. “It doesn’t mean I believe you, though. I’ll be watching you closely, brat!”

Then, he turned around and they both left, leaving terrified Varian and Ruddiger in a dark room. They hugged some more, before Varian finally let go. 

“That was way to close...” The boy said, looking at his pet. “We’d have to be more careful next time. And probably don’t try anything for the next few… times.” He decided. He wasn’t sure how much time did he have until the Saporians decide they are ready to attack Corona. Hopefully, it would be enough for him to devise an escape plan that would work. He didn’t want to stay in that place any longer than he needed to. 


	6. The Way That You Want Me To

Varian was doing his best not to tremble. He lowered his head but his gaze still followed the man in the room. He almost felt like he forgot how to breathe. The man picked up one of the bombs from the desk and examined it. Varian’s hands turned into fists, as he awaited the result. The man slowly put the bomb back to its original place. 

“Well…” He said without turning around, and the alchemist felt his pulse quickening. The man’s voice didn’t show his real thoughts. “It seems like you’ve been quite busy.”

“Yeah…” Varian muttered in response, not quite sure how should he answer. There was a moment of silence, as neither of them talked. The alchemist wondered, should he say something but decided otherwise. He didn’t want to anger the man for speaking without being asked. 

“So, you’ve finally decided to stay on the right side of the history.” The man commented as he turned around, his green eyes staring into the boy, who shifted uncomfortably. “Can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve always been clever.”

“B-better stick to the winners, right?” Varian answered, the joke being an attempt at masking his nervousness. 

Andrew nodded approvingly and moved towards the door, stopping for a moment to pat the boy on the shoulder. 

“Keep it up, kid.” He said. “And maybe we won’t treat you as a traitor anymore.”

The door closed with a metallic clang and Varian let himself finally relax. He leaned by the wall and let his body slide down to the floor. Ruddiger got out from his hiding place under the desk and approached the boy. 

“We… We did it, Ruddiger!” Varian said to the raccoon, petting its head. “He believed it!”

Ruddiger chittered and stared at his face, tilting his head a little. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not really working for them.” The boy assured as he continued to pet the animal. “It’s only so that they leave us alone. If they believe I’m on their side, it will be easier for us to figure out a solid escape plan.”

The raccoon didn’t seem much convinced but decided to trust his master. Sure enough, he was clever. Besides, Ruddiger knew he didn’t want to go back to being a villain again. Not after the last time, anyway. 

Varian took one more calming breath and stood up. 

“Okay, bud. Better get back to work, so they don’t suspect anything.” He said as he approached the work desk. For a short moment his gaze looked pained but he quickly shook his head to focus on the task. 

Hours flew by, and before he knew it, there were already tons of various alchemical bombs laid out on the desk. Once he started, it was really easy for him to get lost in the work. Despite the situation, he still was doing what he loved. Alchemy was also his escape from the reality. When he focused on mixing the ingredients and getting the right proportions, he could pretend he was back at home, in Old Corona. He was so enthralled by the beloved science, he didn’t even notice the door to his lab opening. 

An angry clearing of the throat scared him. He yelped in surprise and turned around in a flash, his eyes wide in terror. Juniper stood in the doorway, a scowl on her face and her arms crossed on her chest. 

“You done?” She asked, looking clearly irritated. 

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Varian quickly put back the vial he was holding and turned off the fire he used to boil his mixtures. “Sorry, didn’t hear you come in.”

“Noticed.” The woman grumbled, visibly angry. The alchemist chuckled nervously and scratched his neck in embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry. I always lose the track of real world when I focus on alchemy.” He tried to explain but that earned him only another scowl from the Saporian. 

“Whatever, it’s time you finish anyway.” She said as she turned, ready to leave. “Come on, or you’ll sleep in the corridor.”

Varian quickly scrambled after her, Ruddiger climbing up to his shoulders. She was already in the middle of the corridor when he finally caught up. They walked in silence, and Varian wondered about the woman’s attitude. 

“E-Everything okay?” He started. “You seem… irritated.”

“Maybe that’s because I have to babysit a traitorous kid because he can’t get to his room on his own?” She scowled and Varian grunted. 

“Hey, I know the way. I’ve been back and forth enough times to learn it by now.” He countered, feeling offended. “Besides, where else would I go? The cafeteria?” He joked. Juniper suddenly stopped and he collided with her back. 

“Listen, brat!” She muttered through the clenched teeth. “I don’t care WHAT you do to earn our trust. You can make as many bombs, or whatever else you are doing there, but you won’t trick me. You might have fooled Andrew but not me. For me you are and always will be a traitor! And if it wasn’t for Andrew’s orders, I would have killed you myself before you could even think what’s going on!”

Varian backed up to the wall, his back pressed to the cold wall. He put up his hands defensively, as the woman came closer with every word she said. He felt truly terrified, the raccoon on his shoulders trembling. 

“I-I don’t know what you’re-” He tried to explain but she grabbed him by the shirt and picked him up, his legs swinging helplessly mid-air. 

“You know EXACTLY what I’m talking about!” She shouted into his face. “I don’t know what are your plans, yet. But I’ll be watching you, brat!”

With that words she let go of his shirt and let him drop to the floor. He coughed a few times and stood up, his hand on the wall. Juniper didn’t spare him a look, as she turned around and continued down the hall. Varian followed her in silence, his heart still beating fast from her threats. They soon reached the door to his bedroom and he waited quietly as she unlocked it. He quickly walked in, not wanting to spend anymore time with the terrifying woman. Just before she closed the door, she shuffled in the bag she was holding.

“Catch.” She said as she threw an object in the boy’s direction. He held up his hands and caught it, surprised to find it a notebook, with a pencil tied to it. He gave the woman a puzzled look, to which she sighed in irritation. “Andrew said to get it to you. Apparently, you wanted something to write down your thoughts when you’re not in the lab.”

Varian stared at the notebook and remembered the conversation he had with the Saporian leader few days ago. From the scowl he got back then, he figured he wouldn’t be so keen to help. But there he was, a notebook in his hands, a gift from the man. 

“Thank you.” He smiled lightly, but Juniper only grunted angrily. 

“I only hope we won’t regret this.” She said. The door closed and there was a familiar locking sound. 

Varian waited until her furious footsteps faded to finally focus on the object he was holding. He sat at the top of his bed, Ruddiger joining him, curiously peering over his arm. The alchemist slowly opened the notebook and let his hand touch the blank pages. He smiled as his fingers felt the paper. 

“This is it, Ruddiger. We’re one step closer to escaping!” He exclaimed to the puzzled raccoon. “With this notebook we can figure out and write down any essential information needed for the escape!”

Ruddiger chittered anxiously, eyeing the notebook. He seemed unconvinced, and Varian could understand his worry. What if anyone found this notebook and see what’s inside? The teenager smirked.

“Don’t worry, they won’t understand a thing.” He reassured. “When I translated Demanitus’ Scroll, I got the translation key fully remembered. I will be able to use it to code everything that we don’t want them to find out.”

The raccoon chittered nervously but seemed more convinced, even if a little fear still remained. Varian put away the notebook and picked him up, setting him on his laps. 

“But I can’t do all that alone, buddy. I’m gonna need your help.” He said, looking the animal in the eyes. Ruddiger tensed and saluted. No way he was gonna let Varian take all work to himself. The boy smiled and patted his friend’s head. “I knew I could count on you. We’re in this together, pal.” 


	7. Let Me Make You Proud

Varian scribbled rapidly in the notebook, more and more pages filling in with strange symbols and mysterious diagrams. Ruddiger sat next to him, his constant chittering matching the boy’s writing speed. 

“Wait a moment, Ruddiger.” He paused and looked at the raccoon surprised. “What do you mean?”

The raccoon moved closer and put his paw on the map of the facility Varian drew, basing on his own knowledge and Ruddiger’s escapades. He pointed to one specific corridor and made a proud chittering sound. Varian grabbed his chin and pondered about the idea. If Ruddiger was right, this corridor led to a hidden back entrance. The raccoon mimed pushing, which probably meant, he’d have to push the wall to make it open. 

“And no one knows about this?” he asked, to which the raccoon shook its head. 

He’d found the door by accident and spent few more days observing the place. No other occupant of the facility seemed to be interested in that particular wall, so it was safe to assume they didn’t know about the secret entrance. 

“This is amazing!” Varian said enthusiastically and scribbled something next to the particular wall on the diagram. “Not sure how we can get there yet, but it’s good to know we have an easy way out of here. And it’s relatively close from both our room and the lab!” He pointed out, as he circled the two rooms.  _ So far, so good, _ he thought as he looked at his notes. 

He heard the lock turning and looked up to see Juniper standing in the doorframe, staring at him with her characteristic scowl. He stared back, puzzled about the arrival. 

“You want something?” He asked, placing the pencil between the pages of the notebook and closing it. 

“Andrew wants to see you.” She replied, as if it was obvious, why she came. That surprised the boy even more. The Saporian leader never sent for him before, rather preferring to come himself. Varian looked at the small window right under the ceiling and noticed it was already dark outside. 

“Now? It’s late.” He questioned. Juniper growled in frustration and took a few steps closer, grabbing him unceremoniously by the arm and dragging outside. 

“I don’t have the whole night!” She snapped, as she dragged him through the corridor. She was going so fast, he had to run in order to not fall. “When I say something, you don’t question it! Just do what you’re told!”

“Hey, careful!” Varian cried, as she pulled him even more and he felt his feet barely touching the ground. “Can’t you slow down, or something?”

Juniper didn’t reply, and didn’t slow down either. Varian grit his teeth and ran faster, just to keep up with the woman. Finally, they arrived at the big double door and Juniper stopped. Varian put his hands on his laps and tired to catch his breath after the run through the corridors. The woman gave him a half-glare and knocked three times on the door, before opening it. She grabbed the alchemist’s arm again and pulled him inside before he managed to understand, what’s going on. He tripped and fell to the floor with a startled yelp. 

“What are you doing?” Juniper hissed angrily, picking him up. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled, cleaning his trousers from the dust on the floor. She growled and turned to the centre of the room.

“I brought him.” She announced. That was when Varian noticed they weren’t alone. Andrew stood in the centre of the room, flanked by Clementine, Kai and Maisie. 

“The whole gang back together.” The alchemist muttered. He heard a swish and was hit in the back of his head. “Hey!” He cried, glaring angrily at Juniper. She glared back, not impressed by his scowl. 

“Varian, good to see you.” Andrew said, turning his attention from the woman. He looked suspiciously cheerful. “Hope Juniper didn’t wake you up.”

“Even if she did, the mad run we did to get here would be enough to do that.” He replied sarcastically, dodging another hit from the said woman. 

“Yes… I think she understood my order too literally.” The man shrugged. “I told her to bring you here as soon as possible.”

“And what’s of so great importance you drag me here in the middle of the night?” Varian crossed his arms on his chest. He decided to make the Saporians trust him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be angry about something like that. 

“I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.” Andrew replied matter-of-factly, stepping closer to the boy. “I’ve heard your raccoon is wandering the corridors and outside more often.”

Varian gulped and tensed. He tried to put the stoic face, to mask his uneasiness.

“Yeah, he doesn’t like being closed in one place for too long, so I let him out sometimes. I didn’t think this would be a problem.” He lied smoothly. “I hope he didn’t steal any food from the kitchen.”

“Is that so…?” Andrew stared into Varian’s eyes and the boy had to tell himself to not look elsewhere. He kept the eye contact, praying for the man to believe him. 

“Is that all? If yes, then I would like to go back to bed.” The alchemist asked, making sure his voice won’t stutter or crack. 

“Actually, there is one more thing.” The Saporian leader said, as he took a few steps back. He wandered to the middle of the room and looked at something on his desk. “Your father… his name is Quirin, right? The leader of Old Corona. ”

“Yeah, but I don’t-” Varian started but the male cut him in. 

“You care about him, right? Want to make him proud?” Andrew continued, and the alchemist wondered where he was going with that. “It would be such a shame, if anything happened to him…”

Varian’s eyes widened and his breath stopped. 

“You wouldn’t…” He said, his throat clenched. He stared in horror at the man in front of him. 

“Only if necessary.” Came the reply and Andrew turned back to face him, a malicious smile on his lips. “But I am sure there will be no need for such measures, right?”

Varian clenched his fists, his breathing quickening and vision shaking. He could see his dad, lying motionless on the ground, a pool of blood under his body. The vision terrified him, leaving him breathless. He jumped up with a start, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Andrew smirking at him. 

“You won’t give me any reason to do that, right?” He asked. Varian slowly nodded and Andrew smiled, ruffling his hair. “Good boy. You can go back to sleep now.”

Varian didn’t remember the way back. He felt like he was dreaming the most horrible nightmare. He absentmindedly followed Juniper back to his room and let himself be locked again. Ruddiger, worried about his behaviour, ran up to him and tried to shake him up, but with no effect. Suddenly, his legs gave in and he slid down to the floor, his back to the cold metal of the door. He hid his head in his legs and wept. Ruddiger sat there, shocked and puzzled. He didn’t know what happened, and had no idea what to do. He slowly approached the boy and put his paw on his arm. Varian reacted instantly, grabbing the raccoon and hugging it tightly to his chest. The tears wet its fur, but Ruddiger didn’t mind. If this was what his boy needed right now, he wouldn’t complain. He will always be there for him. 

“Oh, Ruddiger!” Varian cried, large tears falling down his eyes. “What have I gotten us into?!”


	8. Let Me Show You The Best In Me

Varian didn’t remember falling asleep. The last thing in his memory was crying his eyes out into Ruddiger’s fur. He wasn’t sure how long he was crying. But the headache and pained eyes he felt right now told him it was probably a lot. He must have cried himself to sleep. In any other situation he would feel embarrassed. But now? He didn’t care. 

Ruddiger came up to him with a concerned look on his snout. Varian tried smiling to him, but it only came out broken and fake. He gently patted the raccoon’s head as a silent thank you. 

A knock on the door told him it was time for breakfast. He rubbed his eyes with his hand and stood up. Frankly, if it was up to him, he would stay in the room today, as he didn’t feel like doing anything. But last night’s conversation with Andrew at the back of his head kept him going. 

The logical part of his mind tried to convince him it’s stupid. His dad is twice the size Andrew is, and much stronger than him. Theoretically, the Saporian should be no threat to him. 

The less-logical part, however, kept him occupied with visions of his father’s bloody, limp body. The eyes wide open, frozen in a never-fading terror. There is no way he’s letting that happen. 

He felt Ruddiger positioning himself on his shoulders and he stood up, ready to go. He wordlessly followed one of the Saporians to the cafeteria (he didn’t even pay attention to which one was it this time). He sat down with his food in silence and didn’t speak at all while munching on the ham sandwich. He wasn’t much talkative during meals for the past days, but he could feel everybody’s eyes on him. He was sure they noticed his behaviour and those, who were absent during yesterday’s talk, were probably wondering what happened. Or not, it’s not like he cared. 

He could practically see Juniper’s malicious grin as she went behind his back on the way to her table. She never liked him, not even when they were working together on conquering Corona. The difference now being, she didn’t really have to hide her feelings towards him. 

He quickly finished his food and stood up, ready to go back to work. As long as he did what they wanted him to, his dad was safe, right? He didn’t even bother to notify his guard, just turned around and left the room, scooping up Ruddiger on his way out. 

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?!” An angered shout sounded from behind. He didn’t even turn his head to look at the Saporian. 

“I’ve finished, so I’m going back to work.” He replied matter-of-factly, still continuing down the corridor. “You can go back finish yours. I know my way to the lab.”

And with that words he turned the corner and left a baffled guard staring at the empty corridor. He didn’t hear any footsteps following him, so he figured the Saporian decided to leave him alone. 

In a matter of minutes he was back at his lab, Ruddiger jumping down his shoulders and looking at him expectantly. He ignored him, however, moving towards the work table and examining his inventions. He’d already done a fair number of goo-, bubble- and light-bombs so he might focus on something else this time. His gaze wandered on the different potions, compounds and ingredients stored in the lab, wondering what else could he build that can be of use for the Saporians. He wasn’t keen on aiding Corona’s enemies with weapons of destruction, but he wasn't given much choice. It was enough his knowledge and inventions got him and Ruddiger in trouble. He didn’t want to be responsible for endangering even more people. 

Again, the logical part of his mind tired to persuade him that by building more weapons he’s doing the exact opposite from his goal, but he quickly dismissed the thought. His father’s safety was the most important right now. His alchemy endangered him once already, he didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. 

Ruddiger jumped up at the desk and clawed his arm gently, trying to get his attention. 

“Not now, Ruddiger.” He shook off the paw and tried to focus. “I have no time to play with you right now.”

The raccoon chittered sadly and eyed the window. It’s been quite some time since he’s been outside, as the past few days were spent on observing the secret passage. He clawed the boy’s arm again and looked expectantly from him to the outside. Varian huffed in annoyance at the raccoon’s behaviour. 

“Ruddiger, stop that. I’m busy.” He said, irritation seeping from his voice. 

The animal howled quietly. He didn’t want to leave without Varian’s approval, but he really missed the open space. 

“Argh, fine! Go, if you have to!” The alchemist finally agreed, waving a dismissive hand at the raccoon. “Go, and don’t bother me right now!”

Ruddiger chittered happily and run off, sparing only one glance at the boy. He was leaning over the work table, thinking hard about yet another invention. The raccoon didn’t approve of his boy’s behaviour, but it didn’t seem like he could do anything to help him. He jumped down the window, onto the grass, and ran off to disappear between the bushes. 

~~~~

Varian didn’t even notice the knocking on the door or calling of his name, until someone grabbed him by the shoulder. He jumped up with a startled yelp and the vial he was holding slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. 

“Wh-What?” He said, not quite catching what just happened. He stared blankly at the potion spilled on the ground, the orange liquid slowly evaporating. 

“I asked, why didn’t you come for lunch?” The person in front of him repeated, and he looked up to see not-quite-happy Andrew staring at him. “The agreement was you eat all meals in with us.”

Varian stared back at him, puzzled by the question. His gaze moved to the window and he saw the sun already getting ready to set. He, then, looked at the work table, filled with experimental weapons, scribbled notes and various-coloured vials. He heard a happy chitter and Ruddiger just jumped onto the windowsill, apparently back from his trip.

“I…” Varian tried to answer, looking back at Andrew. How come he didn’t notice the time pass? The last time that happened was way before his failed attempt at freeing his dad from the amber. He didn’t get much sleep back then, and even less food, solely focused on finding a way to get rid of the blasted thing. “I didn’t notice…?” He tried, fully aware it didn’t sound much convincing. The raised brow of the Saporian leader proved his thoughts. “I’m sorry, I got caught up in the work and didn’t really think about eating.”

‘Really?” Andrew just stared at him, angered face changing into I’m-so-done-with-this-shit kind of face. He sighed and rubbed at his temples before looking back at the embarrassed alchemist. “Whatever, just make sure it doesn’t happen next time.”

“Why do you care?” Varian asked, puzzled. Andrew’s face made him mentally slap himself. He didn’t want it to sound so aggressive. 

“Just because we kidnapped you, doesn’t mean we don’t care about your well-being.” The man replied. “At least, until you serve your purpose, that is. Now come on, it’s high time you eat something, and supper is almost ready.”

With those words, Andrew turned around and left the dumb-stuck boy in the middle of the room. Varian looked back at evenly surprised Ruddiger.

“Did he just…?” He asked but didn’t finish. What did he wanted to ask, anyway? Did Andrew just acted like he actually cared? It was hard to believe, knowing how the male acted towards him most of the time. 

He quickly shook his head. He didn’t want to think about that right now. His stomach agreed, growling loudly. He picked up the raccoon and left the room, following the well-known route back to the cafeteria. He could figure it out later. After he’d have some food.


	9. Let Me Give You The Reason To Believe

Varian stood petrified behind the corner, his hand covering his mouth, afraid of making any sound. 

“Is that verified info?” He heard a familiar male voice from the corridor. 

“Sure is.” Another voice, this time female, replied. She sounded awfully happy. “Andrew is going to announce it on today’s meeting. In no longer than two weeks, Corona will fall.”

“That means everything is ready?” Maisie asked and Varian could almost see a grin making its way up the male’s face.

“Most of it, yeah.” Juniper confirmed, and Varian just KNEW she was grinning wildly. “The brat is still not finished with some of his weapons, but it won’t take much longer.”

“And what will we do with him after?” Varian held his breath, as he listened to the conversation. They were touching a sensitive subject. He was glad Ruddiger was outside for a stroll, because the eavesdropping would be so much harder with the raccoon nearby. “It’s not like we can let him go afterwards. And I doubt he will want to help us fight the Coronians.”

“You and me both.” Juniper agreed with a growl. “But it will be Andrew’s decision in the end.”

Varian heard the voices fading and he waited few more seconds to make sure the two Saporians left for good. He quickly went back to his lab and closed the door behind him, his heart pounding like he’d just run the whole way from his home to the castle. He’d heard a chittering and noticed Ruddiger jumping onto the windowsill and down on the floor. He had an apple in his mouth, and sat down munching on it happily. Varian looked at the work table, filled with mechanical parts of the automaton. 

Few days ago, Andrew ordered him to build at least one of these, so this was what he was doing for the time being. His gaze moved to the raccoon sitting on the floor and up to the window and the world outside. Somewhere there was a way back to Corona. 

Making up his mind, he moved to the desk and shuffled around, looking for a paper he didn’t use yet. Similar, as few days after his capture, he scribbled a short note and folded it into a small square. 

“Come here, Ruddiger.” He called and the raccoon quickly climbed up his shoulders. He unclipped the collar he’d made for the animal and slipped the paper into a hidden pocket inside. 

After the fiasco with the first note, he’d created a more durable collar, fit for the job. Until now they didn’t really have any use for it, apart from occasional ingredients-collecting. Varian took a deep breath and stared at the collar. It was his last chance, he decided. If Ruddiger got caught again, he won’t be able to get out that easily. The alchemist swiftly put the collar back around the raccoon’s neck and patted its head. 

“Okay, Ruddiger. It’s now or never.” He said, picking up the animal and moving towards the window. “I know this is dangerous, but I need you to get this note to the Princess.”

Ruddiger seemed conflicted for a moment, looking between Varian and the trees outside. Then, as if finally making a decision, he rubbed his head against the boy’s chest and hastily jumped off, stopping only at the border of the bushes to look back at him one last time. Then, he shuffled between the leaves and was gone. 

Varian spent the hours until the supper working on the automaton, the robot being almost finished by the time he was called out. He got down the ladder and followed Kai to the cafeteria and then back to his room. When asked about the raccoon’s absence, he shrugged and said he’d probably ran off somewhere further than usual. No one seemed to be bothered by the answer, and he was left alone. 

~~~~

Rapunzel was staring out of the window, not really seeing the landscape before her. For the past weeks she did everything in her power to find Varian and prove his innocence but to no avail. There were no clues left, except for the ones clearly pointing to the alchemist’s part in the Saporian’s escape. But she knew, she was damn sure that wasn’t the case. 

Sure, Varian did some bad things in past, but he changed. She just needed to find a way to show it to her father and other people of Corona. Because, of course, word spread out quickly, and now everybody in the city believed Varian helped the Saporians escape. 

Rapunzel stood up, annoyed, and left her room. She needed to clear her head and stop thinking about it for a while. The whole situation was giving her a headache. She was walking down the corridor when she heard some shouting somewhere up front. Curious, she looked behind the corner and noticed Stan, Pete and Nigel, all running around and trying to catch-

“Ruddiger?” She spoke shocked, as she saw the familiar raccoon jumping around, trying to avoid being caught. 

The animal stopped abruptly, which caused both guards and the royal advisor to fall to the floor in an uncoordinated mass of arms and legs. Rapunzel flinched at the sight, while Ruddiger made his way towards her, climbing up her frame and sitting on her shoulders, making Pascal move to the princess’ head. 

“Your-Your Highness!” Nigel addressed, as he tried to untangle himself from both Pete and Stan. “Are you familiar with this pest?”

“This is not a pest, Nigel, it’s Ruddiger.” Rapunzel replied, slightly hurt from calling the raccoon a pest. “He’s Varian’s pet.”

“That traitor’s?!” The man finally managed to stand up and looked at her shocked. “He can be spying for Saporians!”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The princess huffed in irritation, then turned her attention to the animal on her shoulder. “But why are you here, Ruddiger? And where is Varian?”

The raccoon chittered anxiously and clawed at the collar around his neck, which Rapunzel didn’t notice until now. He seemed to want her to take it off. Curiously, she untied the collar and Ruddiger hit it with his paw a few times, until she saw something sticking out from a hidden pocket. She took it out with her fingers and noticed it being a note. Her eyes scanned a short message and she let out a quiet gasp. 

“Saporia will attack in no less than two weeks. Protect the border.” She read aloud.

“I wouldn’t believe any word from that traitor, Your Highness.” Nigel huffed. “For all we know, this could be a trap.”

“Varian’s not a traitor!” Rapunzel argued. “He’s changed. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“You are far too naive, Princess.” The royal advisor commented. 

Angry, Rapunzel turned on her heel and made her way towards the throne room, where her father was right now. She would show them, all of them. Varian was not a villain in this story, and she will prove it. With her mind set, she put her hands on the double door and pushed it with all her might. 

“Dad, we have to talk.” She said with a stern face. 

~~~~

Rapunzel was furious. She stomped out of the throne room and made her way to her room, followed closely by Ruddiger. She pushed open the door with such strength, they hit the opposite wall and created a small dent. With an angry huff she fell onto her bed, burrowing her head in the pillows. Why everybody had to treat her as a naive teenager?

Her father listened cautiously to her information about the forthcoming attack and decided to send another two guards to the border. Two! While they didn’t even know how big was the Saporian army and what resources do they have! (Which could be anything, considering they had Varian, willingful or not.) He didn’t even believe her and sent those another guards just to ease her mind. Not that it helped.

She rolled to her back and stared at the drawings on her ceiling. Her eyes fell on the painting showing Varian and Ruddiger, the same one she stared at when he was kidnapped. She felt shuffling on her right side and turned to see Ruddiger cautiously sitting on her bed. She reached out her hand and gently patted him on the head. 

“Don’t worry, Ruddiger. I won’t leave Varian.” She promised, looking back at the painting, her gaze stern. “Not this time.”


	10. That I Can Stand Tall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: threats, injuries (minor), Juniper (she's a warning all by herself)  
> If I missed anything, let me know.

Varian was anxious. No, anxious was an understatement. He was in a I’m-totally-freaking-out-right-now-but-trying-not-to-show-it mood. It was only two days since he overheard the Saporians talking about soon-to-happen attack on Corona and sent out Ruddiger with a message. They started to be more pushy and demanding towards him. And he wasn’t even sure the raccoon made it safely to the castle. For all he knew, he could be caught and held captive somewhere in the facility. Last time they brought the raccoon back to him, but he couldn’t assume they would do it a second time. 

And to add to all that, now he was constantly watched when working in his lab. He didn’t know if it was connected to Ruddiger’s disappearance, but it made him more jumpy and self-conscious while working. Not to mention, it was so much harder to focus on the task at hand when someone was observing your every move. 

He was up the ladder now, adjusting the plates on the automaton’s head, making sure it’s resilient enough. He was aware the only thing, until now, able to damage his automatons in any way were the black rocks, but it was always better being safe than sorry. 

“Urgh, how much longer are you going to pamper that one piece of metal?” An annoyed grunt came from behind and he rolled his eyes. Juniper was never one of the patient ones. Plus, she had a grudge and trust-issues towards the alchemist. Not that she wasn’t at least partially right, but she didn’t need to know that.

“I just need to attach that plate and the frame will be finished.” He replied between the sounds of the hammer. “Then the only thing to do would be connect the wires to the correct systems, in order to make sure everything is working properly. This is more of a delicate and precise work, so I might need some peace and quiet to do that.” He added. 

“Better quicken up your pace, brat.” Juniper shot back unimpressed. “Andrew is getting anxious, and so am I.”

“Well, it would help if you didn’t ask stupid questions every five minutes.” Varian spat before he managed to think about what he was saying. There was a moment of tense silence and he wondered if he took it too far. 

Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing his ankle and he was shoved down the ladder and landed painfully on his back. He yelped in pain, as his head and spine throbbed from the hit. Before he managed to recover, Juniper grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him up, his feet dangling in the air. 

“Listen, brat! I thought we made it clear last time, but it seems you need a reminder.” She seethed venomously, her eyes shooting daggers. “I. Don’t. Trust you! No matter what Andrew is saying, I’m sure your raccoon’s disappearance is not accidental. If you think about double-crossing us, you can forget it! If I ever see anything suspicious, feel something I don’t like and find out it’s connected to you, I’ll kill you! And I don’t care if Andrew would let me, because I hate you, brat!” With that words she shoved the boy back, making him fall to his butt. She stepped closer and, instinctively, he shuffled back until his back connected with a cold metal of his automaton. She leaned forward and looked down on him, a stern gaze in her eyes. “So better make sure this robot of yours is up-and-running without any problems as soon as you can. Because if there will be any issues with that… you’ll know what happens.”

Terrified, Varian quickly nodded his head and the woman moved back. She stared at him expectantly and motioned for him to get back to work. He scrambled up the ladder and went back to work, trying to stop his hands from trembling. 

~~~~

It’s been the next day, Clementine being his shadow this time, when he’d finally put a final adjustment to the automaton and deemed it ready. He asked the magician to step away for a bit, so he had more space to test the controls. 

Once again, he was glad his lab was spacious, making it possible for him to check the robot’s movement without fretting about destroying anything. Clementine observed his tests with a cautious eye, but he was clever enough not to try anything stupid. When he finally checked everything, he exited the control-room through the trap-door at the top of the automaton’s head and jumped down.

“Well, this is as much as I can do with everything you’ve provided me with.” He said, looking up at the robot and back at Clementine. 

“Wait here.” She simply said, moving for the door and leaving Varian alone. He wondered where did she went off to, until she came back few minutes later, leading a very pleased-looking Andrew. 

“So, I hear you’ve finished your robot.” He said, eyeing the machine in question. “Is it fully operable?”

“Yes, I believe so.” The alchemist replied, slightly nervous. “I made it similar to my previous automatons. It is basically unbreakable, unless someone hits it with a black rock.” He chuckled a little at the joke. Andrew didn’t seem impressed, so the chuckle turned into a somehow embarrassed cough. 

“Very well, you will teach Juniper to operate it tomorrow.” He announced and Varian’s heart skipped a beat. He could almost see the amount of damage the unpredictable woman could do once she learns to control the robot. 

“Y-Yeah, about that.” He scratched his neck, desperately trying to find a believable lie as to not let the Saporian woman cause more damage than she should. “There is quite a lot of machinery inside too, so it would be a tight squeeze for her. I kinda forgot to take it into account, that you guys need slightly more space than I do. Clementine here would be the best fit, but I am sure you’d want her somewhere else, so that’s out of question.”

“So just throw out some of it.” Andrew replied without breaking a sweat.

“What? No! Everything in there is important!” The alchemist argued. “If I take anything out, the automaton won’t work properly. The machinery inside HAS TO stay!”

“So make it more spacious.” The male shrugged. The boy sure had to make everything complicated.

Varian was really freaking out now. He had to come up with a believable lie as quickly as he could. 

“Look, as much as I want to help you, I don’t know how much more time it would take.” He said, desperately trying to hide his nervousness. “This is only the second time I build an operable automaton and I’m not sure yet, how I can do that. Plus, I don’t think we have enough materials to make the changes now. Making more space inside means changing the whole outside frame, and this needs precise calculations.” Oh, great. He was starting to ramble now. Nevermind that. “And even if, by some miracle, I’d manage to include the changes BEFORE you decide to use it, I would have no time to actually teach anyone to operate it. It took me MONTHS until I could maneuver without tripping over my own feet or running backwards!”

“What do you suggest, then?” Andrew’s voice was mocking. The next words that Varian spoke, took everyone by surprise. 

“Let me do it!” He almost cried out. There was a long silence, during which Varian’s mind finally caught up with what he just said. His eyes widened in terror but it was already too late. He had to go with the flow. He took a deep breath and turned to the Saporian leader. “Look, I know you guys don’t trust me enough, but you don’t really have a choice. It’s either that or you don’t use the automaton at all.”

This was a gamble, he knew it. But if he manages to convince Andrew, then at least he won’t have to worry about the machine causing too much damage. He looked up and could see the male considering his options. He was glad Clementine was his shadow today, and not Juniper. If it was the rogue woman, he could have never hope of convincing Andrew. 

Finally, after what felt like hours, the Saporian leader took a breath and spoke.

“Very well, if it’s the only choice.” He said in a calm voice, his eyes staring deep into the alchemist. “But let me warn you. If you do ANYTHING to make us doubt you, I won’t hesitate.”

He didn’t even need to finish the threat, Varian was well aware of what would happen. He gulped and nodded slightly. Pleased, Andrew turned on his heel and left, motioning for Clementine to follow. There was no need to watch the boy any longer, he believed. He’d do what is expected from him, one way or another. 


	11. And When I Return, And I'm More Than You Dreamt I'd Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: depression, suicidal thoughts  
> If I missed anything, let me know.

It was the middle of the night and Varian couldn’t sleep. He was nervously pacing in his room, replaying his last conversation with Andrew. Sure, he didn’t want the Saporians cause any more damage than they already were able to, thanks to Varian’s alchemical inventions. But why, in Demanitus’ name, he had to offer himself as the operator of the automaton?! 

“Argh, why did I have to say that?!” He asked himself for the nth time, burying his fingers into his dark locks. “Now there’s NO WAY Corona’s going to trust me again!”

Frustrated, he kicked the leg of the bed and cringed at the hit. He yelped in pain and grabbed for his foot, which resulted in him awkwardly jumping on one leg before finally tripping and falling to his butt. 

“Why do I keep messing things up?!” He cried out, massaging his toe. His gaze moved upwards and he stared into the ceiling. He sighed heavily and stood up, moving to the bed. He fell down on it and rolled to the back, still staring at the cracks overhead. But instead of the ceiling, he imagined something different. 

In his mind he could see his home in Old Corona. He saw the cracks on the walls of his bedroom, the results of his many failed experiments before his dad decided to clean up some space for him in the basement. He was seven then, and just started to show interest in more… explosive part of science. The lab and his goggles were the gifts from his dad, when he finally understood Varian wasn’t going to give up on his fascination so easy. 

His mind showed him more memories. Working in his neighbour’s field to earn enough money to buy leather gloves and apron. Designing his first original invention, which was only a simple machine for sorting crops, but felt good to build it. (Except the fact it malfunctioned and instead of sorting, squished everything into inedible pulp.) Meeting the Princess for the first time, along with Cassandra and Flynn Rider (whose real name turned out to be Eugene Fitzherbert). Experimenting on the black rocks…

He cringed, not wanting to remember next events, but his mind wasn’t listening to him. He saw his dad encased in amber. The Princess backing out on her promise to help him. Desperate measures he took to free his father… only for everything being futile in the end. He remembered cold nights in the deep dungeons, having Ruddiger as his only companion. The Saporian rebellion and how he helped them overthrow the kingdom, only for the Princess and her friends come back. He remembered the way she decided to forgive him, when they were locked up in the same cell, how she gave him another chance… A chance he was not worth getting, he realised, as he saw the cracks on the ceiling again. 

No matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t make things right. Even with the red rocks… if it wasn’t for Rapunzel telling everyone he stopped it, no one would even notice that. And he was sure, they were nice to him only because of the princess. Deep down he knew… he had not redeemed himself. It didn’t matter how hard he try, how much he does for the kingdom… in the eyes of its citizens he’d always be the villain. 

His mind went back to when it all started. There wasn’t one moment since that day, he hadn’t wondered what could have happened if he acted differently. If he’d listened to his dad and stop experimenting on the black rocks. If he was more careful with his formula, and not spill it all over the rock. If it was him, who was trapped in the amber…

“Maybe it would really be better for everyone, if I wasn’t born…” He spoke out his thoughts, bringing his knees to his chest. After all, Corona’s in danger again. And, once more, it was his fault. Now, more than ever, he felt the absence of Ruddiger. The chubby raccoon always could find a way to cheer him up, to keep him going. But he wasn’t there. And the silence in the room was a painful reminder of that. 

He’ll always be an outcast, he thought with a heavy heart. Even if he somehow manages to escape from here, there would be no way he could go back home. No one would believe he wasn’t working with the Saporians. So… maybe it was for the best that he decided to drive the automaton to the battle. If he’ll be lucky, he won’t make it until it ends. And then… all of his problems will vanish…

_ ~~~~ _

The night went on awfully slow, as if someone decided to torture Varian by giving him more time to think about the dread he felt. He tried everything to finally go to sleep and get some rest, but his mind was keeping him awake, showing the visions he didn’t want to see. 

He kept remembering over and over all of the situations where his inventions malfunctioned. The sorting machine, the heating system, the alchemy experiments… Truth be told, it wouldn’t be half that bad, if his mind showed him only those. But it was worse, far worse. Every time, after each incident, the last thing he saw was his dad. The lump in his throat grew bigger and bigger with each vision, that he believed he was going crazy. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t escape from it. 

He could see it clearly, as if his dad was here, standing in front of him. And every time, no matter what Varian did, his reaction was always the same. The pained look in his eyes, the sadness… and most of all, disappointment. He didn’t speak, he didn’t have to. He just stood there, his eyes staring right at his son… And the boy knew. He’d failed him. Again. 

He tried to argue, tried to explain himself. But everytime he opened his mouth, his voice betrayed him. There was no sound coming out of his mouth, everything stuck under the big lump in his throat with no space to move forward. He felt prickling in his eyes and closed them shut, hiding his head in his arms.

“He’s not here. It’s not real.” He repeated the words like mantra, hoping for the sleep to claim him, to save him. 

He knew. He always knew. He will never be the way his dad would like him to be. He’ll always be a disappointment, a lost cause, a malfunction. All those years, after his mother's death, he tried so hard to get his father’s approval. All his inventions, all his science… it was all for him. Whenever he worked on something new, he always wanted it to be helpful to his dad, to his village. The sorting machine, the heating system, the experiments on the rocks… But it all ended the same. Malfunction and disappointment. He wasn’t even able to free his dad from the amber HE trapped him in!

“I just wanted to make you proud, dad…” He whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. “But I guess, I can’t do that either…”

He sobbed quietly, his head hidden in his arms, legs pulled to his chest. And the night went on…


	12. Maybe Then You Will Realize

Varian woke up with a start. He looked around in confusion and noticed it was still dark. Somewhere during his tear-up he had to finally fall asleep. But, then, what did wake him up in the first place? 

A creaking noise caught him by surprise and he quickly turned his head towards the sound. The door to his room were open. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the vision didn’t disappear. They weren’t wide open, but there was a slight crack, suggesting they were really unlocked. 

Puzzled, and a little bit curious, he quietly slipped down to the floor and approached the entrance. He gently pushed the door and they opened wider with a loud creak. He flinched at the volume of the sound, his heart thumping. He waited, but no one seemed to come. Intrigued, he pushed the door even more and peeked outside. The corridors were empty, and there was some ominous atmosphere in the air, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. 

He quietly slipped out of the room and sneaked down the corridor, passing by void rooms. There was no sound, apart from the quiet shuffling of his feet. Varian didn’t understand what was going on. Where was everybody? He was aware there were only around twenty people in the compound, but there was NO WAY he didn’t meet anyone on his little stroll. Something was not right. 

Going by his memory, he visited the cafeteria, his lab and the room where he had a talk with Andrew (or more like threat about killing his dad), but all of them were empty. Growing more suspicious by the minute, he tried to visit other places in the facility. What surprised him, however, was the fact he wasn’t able to see anything else. Apart from the places he knew, every unfamiliar turn of the corridor or door seemed to lead to a dead end. 

“What’s going on?” he wondered out loud, staring at another wall blocking his path. He was wandering the corridors for hours now, and didn’t meet anyone nor could visit the places he hadn’t been to before. 

He tried using potions from his lab to melt the walls or even break his way through them with his automaton, but it all turned out to be futile. All it did to him was lower his supply of alchemical mixtures and destroy the automaton he worked so hard on building. 

“What is it with this place?!” He shouted in frustration as he slipped down to the floor and stared at the ceiling. 

Then, suddenly, he heard something. His head shot up, his eyes scanning the surrounding. Was his mind playing tricks on him already? Or did he really hear something except for his own breathing? For a few minutes nothing happened and he started to believe he’s going crazy, when he heard it again. 

A quiet sound, somehow familiar, sounded from one of the corridors. He rushed back up and quickly followed down the track, his ears and eyes open for anything. The sound was getting louder, the further he went, the unmistakable chittering causing involuntary flipping in his heart. 

“Ruddiger, is that you?” He called out and the chittering answered. He quickened his pace and broke into a run, following the voice. He didn’t even notice leaving the familiar site behind him, moving deeper and deeper into the compound. 

He exited the corridor and found himself in an enormous room with only one door leading out. He called out the raccoon’s name again, flinching at how his voice echoed in the room. He heard the answer almost instantly, coming from behind the door. He ran up to them and pushed but they didn’t budge. He tried pulling the doorknob, but it didn’t help the case either. 

“No way… Ruddiger, are you there?!” He pounded on the door and heard a scratching on the other side. He hit the door in frustration. How come he was so close and couldn’t get past the blasted door? “Ruddiger, don’t worry! I’ll find something to open that door!” He called out and turned around. His eyes scanned the room and then he felt his heart skipping a beat. The way he got into the room was gone.

Terrified, he ran up to where he remembered the exit from the tunnel was and started checking the wall, hoping to find some kind of mechanism to reveal the entrance. 

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!” He repeated, his hands frantically moving up and down the wall. “How is this-? I’ve just entered through here! It’s not possible!”

“Is it…?” A voice from behind startled him. He turned abruptly and stared in shock at the person standing in the middle of the room. 

“Zhan Tiri” He breathed out, moving closer to the wall behind him. The demon laughed and stepped closer, despite seeing the terrified look Varian was giving her. 

“Nice to see you too, Moon Child.” She said, her mouth forming a malicious grin. “Hope you had a good time, playing with your toys while I was gone.”

“What do you-? Why even-? Where am I?” Varian was stuttering, the demon making him uncomfortable. 

“Not the real world, that for sure.” Zhan Tiri replied matter-of-factly and moved away, her back to the alchemist. “I am sure you remember the first time we met, don’t you?”

“So… this is a dream?” He asked cautiously. There was a malicious giggle and Zhan Tiri’s head turned back at him, the rest of her body staying the way she was. He flinched and let out a startled yelp. 

“Why, of course! Why wouldn’t it?” The answer didn’t sound so calming as it should be. Zhan Tiri turned the rest of her body so she wholly faced Varian now. 

“But why am I here? What do you want?” He pushed. 

“I think I made that obvious, Moon Child. It’s time you’d finally awaken your powers.” She replied and Varian flinched again.

“I-I’m telling you, you are wrong! I don’t have any powers!” He argued.

“Are you sure about that?” Zhan Tiri simply asked and lifted her finger, pointing at his head. Confused, he looked up and shouted in surprise. His hair stripe, the only blue he had since he was little, was glowing, turning lighter by the second.

“What’s going on?! What did you do to me?!” He shouted as he felt (yes, felt!) the rest of his hair turning blue and flowing upwards. He let out another startled yelp, when suddenly a black rock sprouted from the floor in front of him.

“Embrace your powers, Moon Child!” He heard Zhan Tiri’s voice but was too freaked out to actually see her. Everything was spinning and he saw more black rocks appearing around him. “Face your destiny!”

He cried out in pain, as a powerful explosion took place. He felt his body tearing apart from the inside, the unfamiliar power growing inside him. 

~~~~

Varian woke up screaming. His heart was thrumming and it took him few minutes to calm himself. Terrified from the vision, he grabbed his hair and pulled it in front of his eyes to see. He let out a sigh of relief, when they turned out to be as black as usual, except one blue stripe. 

“It was just a dream.” He said to himself, calming down and taking deep breaths. He heard knocking at the door and someone asking if everything was alright. “Y-Yeah, just a bad dream!” He called out nervously and the person on the other side grumbled something about waking people up. Varian took another breath and got down from the bed, readying himself for another day. Something caught his eye, and his heart stopped.

In the middle of the room, sprouting from the floor… was a black rock. 


	13. That You Never Actually Knew Me At All

Varian was still staring at the rock when the door to his room opened and Juniper walked in. She took one look at the boy and the new addition to his interior and scoffed. 

“Move it, brat. You have an appointment.” She growled in irritation, seemingly not surprised about the appearance of the black rock. Varian blinked and stared at the woman in surprize. 

“I have a what?” He asked, tilting his head in confusion. From what he knew, he was supposed to work in the lab again today. He didn’t hear anything about meeting anyone.

“An appointment, a meeting, someone wants to see you.” She replied with annoyance in her voice. “Now scram, I don’t have all day!”

She forcefully grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up, dragging him out of the room and towards the cafeteria. They arrived in a matter of minutes and he was pushed down to the seat, a tray of food thrown in front of him.

“Eat!” Juniper simply ordered as she dug into her own breakfast. Still a little shaken from the events the night before, Varian slowly reached for the spoon and begun eating in silence. His mind was elsewhere, however, remembering what he saw in the dream. 

It was still hard for him to believe, as what happened was too surreal to be true. His logical mind couldn’t find any way to explain the sudden appearance of the black rock in his room. Was it somehow connected to his dream? Was Zhan Tiri right, when she claimed he possessed the power of the Moon? 

And there was also the mysterious appointment he was supposed to have. He tried to recall Andrew saying anything about it the day prior, but it was no use. He was quite sure, the man didn’t mention anything out of ordinary happening today. 

“Hurry up, slowpoke!” An annoyed grunt and a hit to his head stopped his train of thoughts.

“You didn’t have to hit me...” He grumbled as he massaged the back of his head. 

“True, but I wanted to.” The woman replied with a smirk and Varian involuntarily shivered. He quickly gobbled up the rest of his plate and stood up, not wanting to irritate the Saporian even more. 

They walked the corridors again, towards the part that was yet unfamiliar to the alchemist. Juniper seemed to choose one door at random and pushed him through. 

“Hey, what was that for?” He argued, looking back at the woman. She just smirked maliciously and didn’t walk in. 

“I would say good luck, but I hate you, so I won’t.” She said before closing the door behind her. Varian stared at the locked entrance in confusion, wondering what did she mean. 

“Ah, so you’re finally here.” Another familiar voice sounded from behind him and he turned abruptly facing his nightmare.

Zhan Tiri was standing in the middle of the room, as she did in his dream. The difference was the room itself, and the fact he knew he wasn’t dreaming this time. 

“What do you want?” He asked acting tough, but his voice squeaked somewhere in the middle. 

“I believe we already had this conversation twice before, Moon Child.” She replied, casually strolling towards him. He took a few steps to the back but this time didn’t hit the wall. “I need you to finally awaken your powers.”

“Ooooh, okay. First of all, I don’t have any powers, I think I already said that.” He was starting to get irritated of that constant talk about his apparent powers. “And second of all, before you say anything, what happened yesterday was only a dream. A dream! Because there is no possibility for me to have any kind of- Argh!” His speech was cut short as he felt a splitting headache. His ears ringed and he stumbled to the floor, his hands and knees stopping him from falling down completely.

“Oh, really?” Zhan Tiri’s voice sounded from somewhere to his right and it took all of his strength to move his head to look in that direction. She was standing there, towering over him, a malicious grin on her face and something glistening in her hand. 

“What… did you… do…?” He managed to ask, as the headache grew worse. His vision spinned and he felt a coming wave of nausea. 

“Nothing, really. Just something to help you tap on your powers.” She replied casually as she tossed the thing in the air and his unfocused gaze managed to catch a sight of something small, sharp and blue. 

“What is… that?” He questioned, trying at the same time to stop his head from spinning. He shook his head and another wave of nausea hit. Okay, better not try that again. 

“This? Part of the Moonstone that crackled when the Sundrop and Cassandra faced each other in the Dark Tower.” She replied, shoving the piece closer to his face and Varian felt the headache worsening. He cried out in pain and grabbed his head between his arms, causing himself to fall unceremoniously on the floor. 

Zhan Tiri circled around him and hummed thoughtfully. He writhed in agony as now not only his head hurt, but also his chest. 

“Seems like it’s already working.” He heard the demon say and he willed his eyes to open in an attempt to look at her. Something blue and glowing swimmed at the corner of his vision and he was only partially aware it was his odd-coloured hair stripe. 

“P-please. Make it s-stop…” He begged as his vision started to black out. He barely managed to lift his hand a couple of inches up. “It h-hurts…”

He received no answer, except for the pain hardening and his lungs burning. He gasped for air, the breathing becoming more and more troublesome. He shivered, vision swimming and blurring, and he was quite sure he was feverish. The last thing he saw before he finally passed out were the black shoes standing just few inches from his face.

Zhan Tiri walked to the door and opened it, leaving the room. She gazed at the Saporian woman leaning against the wall.

“Take him back to his room.” She ordered before continuing down the hall. “I will continue when I am back.”

“Yes, Zhan Tiri.” Juniper replied and entered the room. 

The alchemist was lying unconscious just few feet from the door, his face frozen in a grimace of pain. She picked him up and threw him over her shoulder. She caught a glimpse of a fading glow of his hair stripe but didn’t think much of it. The brat had it coming the moment he decided to betray them for that stupid princess. They are going to pay, all of them, she decided as she walked with the passed out boy on her shoulder, his body limply swaying to match her steps. 


	14. Suer, I've Made Lots of Mistakes

Varian grunted, his eyes staring at the black rock in front of him. 

“Come on, grow!” He muttered under his breath, sweat showing on his forehead.

“You need to use your powers to grow it, not your voice.” An annoying voice sounded from behind him. 

“I’m… trying…!” He growled, his hands lifted in front of him. “But it’s not… working!”

“Because you think too much, Moon Child.” Zhan Tiri replied with a tired sigh. “I told you, you don’t need to think, just do.”

“Well, easier said than done!” The alchemist snapped and turned to the demon. There was a crack and a few black rocks sprouted from the ground between him and her. He yelped in surprise and tripped, falling to his butt.

“Focus, boy. We don’t have time for you to throw tantrums every time it doesn’t work out the way you want it too.” She said, massaging her temples. “You have to be able to control it before those thugs decide to finally attack Corona.”

“And did you think that, maybe, I don’t want to control it?!” He shouted back, staring angrily at her. He noticed few rocks shooting in her direction, but she simply stepped away. “I didn’t ask for those powers! I didn’t ask for any of this!”

The more his anger grew, the more rocks appeared. They sprouted from the floor, ceiling and the walls, making the underground room look more like a cavern than anything else. 

“Yes, anger is good. But not when you have no control over it.” Zhan Tiri looked around, taking in the sight. “Again.”

“No, I have enough of this!” Varian argued and turned to leave. The enormous Saporian stood in his path, blocking the exit from the room. “Out of my way, Kai!” He ordered but the male didn’t budge.

“You will stop, when I tell you to stop, Moon Child!” Zhan Tiri spoke from behind. “And don’t even think of using the rocks to make a hole in the wall. You’re far too unfocused to even attempt at something like that without seriously damaging yourself or anyone else.” 

Varian clenched his fists and turned to the demon, his eyes full of anger. She simply smirked as she seized his posture. 

“Now, again.” She ordered with a wide grin. 

~~~~

Varian was completely drained by the time Zhan Tiri finally decided it was enough for today. Although he managed to summon a lot of black rocks, enough to make them reconsider their training ground, none of them appeared out of his free will. They sprouted out whenever he got agitated and annoyed with the demon’s attitude, who kept shouting at him to stop thinking and just feel the power. 

He huffed in irritation as he sat on his own bed. He was a man of science, not magic. The universe had to be really crazy to give him the powers he couldn’t even control. Talk about irony. 

Of course, he understood everything Zhan Tiri was trying to tell him, but he just couldn’t do it. For years and years he used logic and science to learn everything he could. And until now, it always worked just fine. Until now…

Varian laid down on his back, staring at the cracks in the ceiling. Who knew his knack for science and logical thinking would one day be more of a nuisance than help? No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. How high did he want the rocks go? Under what angle? Did he want them to sprout away or towards him? How fast can he produce the rocks? How thin or thick they’d have to be for different purposes? Every question led to another one, so no wonder he couldn’t focus on simply controlling the rocks. How can you control something you don’t exactly understand? 

He sighed and rolled to his side, closing his eyes. He’d need a lot of rest, because he didn’t imagine the demon giving up so easily. These are going to be tough few days. 

~~~~

He woke up with a start, when he was kicked of his bed and landed hard on the stone floor. He grunted in pain and looked up at his “alarm clock”. Juniper looked down at him with an usual irritation on her face. 

“Figures…” He mumbled as he pushed himself up. “A ‘wake up’ would work just as well, you know?” He said as he massaged the side he hit when falling off. 

“Yeah, but watching you kiss the floor is more entertaining.” The woman replied and he sighed in defeat. He didn’t want to argue with her. Not today.

“Let’s just go.” He stated as he walked past her and in the direction of the canteen. He could hear the woman scoff as she closed the door to his room and followed him wordlessly. 

Varian didn’t speak much during breakfast. He never did, but especially if it was Juniper’s turn to shadow him. He just couldn’t bear the woman. And he was well aware of the fact the feeling was mutual. 

He finished his food in a moderate time, thankful Juniper was eating slowly this time. He was too tired to listen to her bickering about how long it takes for him to do literally anything. They put their dishes to the sink and left the room in silence. 

They were walking for a few minutes, until Varian noticed they weren’t going to the basement he met with Zhan Tiri yesterday. But he clearly remembered the demon stating they will have another practice today… Was it postponed? But it wasn’t a way to his lab, either. 

He was even more surprised, when Juniper opened one of the doors and he was blinded by the sudden light. She huffed at his hesitation and pulled him through the door before he managed to do anything. 

It took a few seconds for him to finally stop seeing white everywhere and his vision clearing. He stared shocked at the blue sky above him and green grass under his feet. He was outside…? But why…?

“You’re late, Moon Child.” A familiar voice shook him from his daze. His eyes darted to the side, where Zhan Tiri stood, her hands locked behind her back. 

“What…?” He asked, still perplexed about the surrounding. She seemed to understand his confusion and smiled. It wasn’t the malicious wicked grin she usually gave him nor the unnatural half-face one, but it wasn’t soft and kind either. 

“Figured, after our last session, we might need some more… secure training ground.” She explained, as she strolled in his direction. “We wouldn’t want the ceiling collapse on us because you can’t control the rocks, now can we?”

“Y-yeah…” Varian was still a little bit out of it, his eyes looking around. It’s been such a long time, since he’d been outside. He missed it. 

“Don’t even think about escaping, brat.” Juniper’s voice called him out of his daze and he looked back to see her staring at him angrily. “Or your whatever-powers-you-have will be the least of your concerns.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it that much, my dear.” Zhan Tiri interrupted, a smile still plastered to her face. “The only exit from here is the one you entered through. And he’s too unstable to use the rocks to help him, either.”

“Better safe than sorry.” The woman replied, but stepped back and positioned herself next to the door, her eyes never leaving the alchemist. 

Zhan Tiri didn’t bother to answer, instead turning her full attention to the boy. 

“Now, let’s start again, Moon Child.” She said, the half-face smile appearing on her face. 


	15. I Know That I've Disappointed You

Varian was exhausted. His vision was blurred, hair plastered to his forehead wet with sweat, which was also dripping down his face. He grunted and stared into a reason of his problems, the dark rock standing unbothered in the middle of the yard. 

It was his third day after he learned he somehow possesses Moon powers (as unstable as they are). The thought alone was enough to make the boy anxious. He was a man of science, after all. How could the world be so cruel as to give him the powers he didn’t acknowledge in the first place? Didn’t he suffer enough?

He couldn’t even start to understand where the powers came from in the first place. He always thought the powers (not magic, he would never get so low as to admit something as irrational as magic exists) came from the object. Like the Sundrop flower, or the Moonstone. So how come, he had them? It was unnatural!

“You’re not focusing, Moon Child.” An irritating voice stopped his train of thoughts and he couldn’t contain the agitated huff. 

As if the powers alone weren’t enough to drain him from sleep, there was also the ancient demon, who, for unknown reason, decided to take a form of seemingly innocent little girl from some noble family (as the clothes suggested). 

Varian’s hands clenched as he thought about the demon. If it wasn’t for her, he would have probably never had those powers in the first place. She was the one to give them to him. Because he absolutely denied to acknowledge he had them for a long time now, and the demon just managed to awaken them. That was irrational and not possible at all. 

“Stop thinking, boy. It will get you nowhere.” Zhan Tiri spoke again and he could hear a hint of irritation in her voice. Oh, he was getting angry now? How ironic. 

“I am trying!” He replied through the clenched teeth, not sparing a look at the girl behind him. Instead, he bore his eyes into the black rock, trying for the upteempth time to make it obey him.

“Not enough, apparently.” The answer came and he snapped. 

“If you’re so intelligent, why won’t you show me how it should be done?!” He shouted, turning around to face her. His angered gaze met stern of hers. “Oh, that’s right. Because you can’t! I bet you don’t even know what you’re doing! You’re just making up stuff!”

“Do not test me, boy.” Zhan Tiri’s gaze turned cold, the sky darkening in a matter of seconds. Varian felt a chill going up his spine, but he refused to back down. “I don’t need some magical rocks to get what I want. And you do not want to see, what happens when I am truly mad.”

“Oh, really?!” Varian was trembling now, and he wasn’t sure if it was from fear or anger. “If you were so powerful as you claim to be, you wouldn’t even need me OR Cass to do the dirty work for you!”

They stared at each other, neither backing down. It seemed as if the whole world stop. The alchemist could hear Juniper suck in a breath somewhere near the door leading back to the base. The air was so tense, you could drop a pin. Finally, after what felt like hours, Zhan Tiri let out an exhausted sigh and turned around. 

“Take him back to his room. We’re done for today.” She said without even sparing a look at him. 

“Fine!” Varian huffed in response and marched right past spellbind Maisie, throwing open the door and letting himself back inside. 

He was in the middle of the second corridor when he finally heard rushed footsteps and knew it was the Saporian trying to catch up to him. At least it wasn’t Juniper today. He silently thanked whatever forces there were the Saporian woman wasn’t his guard this time. He didn’t want anyone talking to him now. And he was sure, Juniper would talk his ears off on how disrespectful he just acted and how Andrew would hear about that. Like he cared. 

They reached his room, and Varian stood back as Maisie fished out the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He stepped inside without a single glance or word and simply approached his bed, hearing the door close and lock behind him. 

His whole frame shook, anger fuming now that he was left alone. He never wanted this. Any of this. The kidnapping, being forced to create weapons for the enemies of his kingdom, getting some strange powers he couldn’t control NO MATTER HOW MUCH HE TRIED!

With an angry yell he punched the wall, his whole arm going numb at the sensation. He ignored the feeling, throwing hit after hit, punch after punch, until he had no strength left in his body.

He turned his back to the wall and let himself slide down to the floor. He brought his knees to his chest and let his head rest on them. He was so goddamn tired. Slowly, the anger turned into exhaustion and he let the sleep take over, dreaming of the times when everything was so much simpler. 

~~~~

The door hitting the wall upon opening startled him awake. He looked up in a haze, noticing a familiar figure towering over him. 

Andrew stared right back at him, his gaze stern, before turning around. 

“Grab him.” He ordered and Kai stepped forward, pulling the dizzy alchemist to his feet. 

“W-What’s going on?” He asked as Kai pushed him out of his room to follow Andrew. “Where are we going?”

His brain was still waking up, trying to make sense of the situation. Was Zhan Tiri calling for him again? Or maybe they wanted some more weapons to be forged? 

Andrew didn’t even turn around or acknowledge the question. They walked in silence, going deeper and deeper into the stronghold. They took so many turns Varian was getting dizzy. He didn’t know which way was north anymore, his sense of direction too confused by so many changes. 

Finally, they stopped and Andrew opened one of the doors, motioning for Kai. The huge Saporian pushed Varian forward and practically threw the boy inside. 

“Hey, what was that for?!” He cried, turning around to the door. 

“You will stay here. We have no further use of you.” Andrew replied and reached for the handle to close the room. 

“W-What?” Varian’s mind stopped working. “What do you mean?”

“I mean what I just said, kid.” Andrew grit his teeth. “We have all the weapons we want. And since you’re unable to control whatever powers you have, you are useless.”

“What? No! I can learn!” He ran up to the male and grabbed his shirt. “I’ll do whatever I can! Just don’t leave me here!”

“It was either that, or death.” Andrew replied calmly, grabbing the boy’s wrists and prying him off his shirt. “You should thank me for chosing the former.” 

With that words, he pushed him away. Varian stumbled and by the time he regained balance, the door was already closing.

“No! Please! I can learn! I will learn! I will control them!” He cried, banging his fists into the metal frame. “Don’t lock me up! Please! I’ll be useful, I promise!”

He stopped dead, as the words left his mouth. Promise…

“Yeah, you shouldn’t really go around saying that, if you don’t really mean it, kid.” Andrew’s voice was muffled by the door. “Have fun.”

Varian didn’t remember much after that. He knew he cried and shouted and banged on that blasted door for a long time. 

He cried until his eyes stung so much he could barely keep them open and all he saw were blurry shapes. He shouted until his voice was hoarse and all that came out were barely hearable whispers. He banged until his hands were bloody and his body had no strength left, falling limply to the cold stone floor. 

Memories flooded his tired mind. Barred windows, stone floors, the whispers of other prisoners… And it was so cold, so cold, SO COLD!

He hugged himself, silently weeping although no tears came. He could hear his own breath coming in hitches. He could hear the shuffling of his clothes whenever he moved. 

He didn’t hear the quiet paws coming closer. He didn’t feel the furry animal climbing up his knees and snuggling to his chest. He didn’t feel the paws gently stroking his cheeks, nor did he hear the comforting chittering by his ear. 

There was no one here. He was alone.


	16. Still, Though, Whatever It Takes

Darkness. Everywhere he looked, there was only darkness. He curled on himself tighter, trying to not panic. 

Memories of his days in Corona’s prisons resurfaced, unwilling to go away. He clearly remembered being locked up in small cell, prison bars dividing him from freedom, from finding ways to free his father. Father HE imprisoned. 

There was a window in his prison cell, small and high up, but providing sunlight. There was also a makeshift bed. Hard to sleep on, but providing some kind of relief from the cold stone floor. Ruddiger was also there, constant reminder he wasn’t alone. And other prisoners, their whispers and bickering he could hear from his cell back at the further end of the long corridor of cells. 

The place he was locked up now… It was nowhere like the cells in Corona. It was small, almost too small, making him feel claustrophobic. And he wasn’t claustrophobic, mind you. After his epic failure at freeing his father, he was taken to the castle in a small prison wagon. He spent a better part of the year stuck in a cell. He was used to small spaces. 

But this? It took only two steps to get from one wall to the other. It was way to small, and he believed he was starting to get claustrophobia.

There were no windows, either. His previous room and his lab in the hideout both had windows. Heck, every room he’d been to had windows! But this one had none. He couldn’t tell what time it was, he couldn’t even know if it was day or night. Just darkness. Constant and ever-present darkness that sent a chill up his spine. 

His hand automatically went to his shoulder. He froze, when he touched his own shirt, hand falling down limply. Right… Ruddiger wasn’t here, either. He sent him away days ago, a messenger for Rapunzel. He sure hoped his friend was safe and sound with the princess. No, he was alright. He was clever, he wouldn’t get caught twice. He was with Rapunzel, he had to be…

And yet, Varian never wished that much he didn’t send him away. Not since that day. What wouldn’t he give to hear his chittering, comforting and steady. Ruddiger… he was always there for him. After the snowstorm, after the betrayal… The immense number of hours spent on figuring out a way to get rid of that blasted amber. Then, when he devised a plan to get the Sundrop Flower, and, after that failed, getting the princess to come.

He still didn’t understand why the raccoon chose to stay by his side after the battle. He used him. Turned into a monster relying on pure instinct and filled with rage. And still… Ruddiger stayed. 

He was with him when he was stuck in the prison, and even when he teamed up with the Saporians, although he kept his distance. Maybe he was afraid of him back then? He didn’t know. But even though… he stayed.

He was with him after he reconciled with the princess, helped him with his experiments, deciphering the Demanitus Scroll… He didn’t leave him even when the Saporians kidnapped him and took him god knows where. He was his anchor, the rock. Steady and unchanging. 

And now… he was not there. Not because the raccoon chose to. Varian was sure, if the animal was given a choice, it would stay by his side. Like it always did. But he wasn’t there. Because Varian purposefully sent him away. Even though he knew he would be all alone. Even though he knew Ruddiger was the only one keeping him sane and not panicking at every little thing. And still… he sent him away.

Varian let out a small sob and hugged himself tighter. He was truly alone. Even the Saporians didn’t visit him. He didn’t know how much time has passed since he was locked in, but nobody came. His stomach growled, reminding he probably skipped some meals. Not like he chose to… Or maybe he did?

Maybe the reason he was locked up was his own fault. After all, he couldn’t control the rocks. The rocks, which he SHOULD be able to control. But he couldn’t. And he even argued with Zhan Tiri over that fact. The thought sent a chill up his spine. 

He argued with thousands-years-old demon. God, she probably could have killed him on the spot! The more logical part of his brain tried to remind him the arguments he used against that fact. But he didn’t listen. He was spiraling, panic overcoming his senses. 

What was the last thing Andrew said to him? It was either this or death? He suck in a breath as he thought of what kind of death would he mean? Would they choose for him? Would they do it personally, or rather give him away to Zhan Tiri to get rid of? Both options seemed equally frightening. 

If only he could do what they want him to. If only he could make them-

He stopped mid-though as he caught up what he was about to say. The words felt so natural. He was used to saying them over the years, whenever one of his experiments didn’t work out. But this was wrong. It felt wrong.

Was he really… trying to make them proud…? Did he crave for acceptance so much, he was willing to do anything, only for someone say they are proud of him? Even if this someone was… Saporians…?

He pondered on the thought. No, that wasn’t true. He wasn’t trying to make them proud. To be seen as useful, yes. Useful meant he was safe, unless for the time being. And right now, he was useless. And useless things are thrown away and forgotten about. 

No, he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to help the Saporians gain even more power against Corona, but it was his only way out. The only way to get away from this darkness he was submerged in. 

Filled with determination, the alchemist stood up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

Don’t think, just follow your instincts. Let it guide you. Let it flow through you and tell you what to do. Don’t question it, don’t try to overthink it. For once in your life, stop being a scientist and imagine there IS something more. Something you can’t explain, but something that still exists. It’s in Rapunzel, it’s in Cass… and, apparently, it’s also inside you. Buried and hidden deep, but still there. You just have to find it. Find it and let it free. 

He opened his eyes, glowing slightly. He didn’t notice that. Nor did he notice his teal-coloured stripe lighting up slowly. As if unsure, if it was alright, if it was allowed to do so. 

He slowly lifted his hand and stared at the cold stone floor. 

_**“Rise.”**_ He said in a voice not quite his. 


	17. I'm Gonna Fix It, Just Watch Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Suicidal thoughts (once, at the very end, better safe than sorry)

Varian grunted in frustration as the black rock stared menacingly at him. After that little pep talk he gave himself, he was positively surprised the rock actually obeyed and grew in his cell. He was so pumped he tried to summon more, only for nothing to happen. 

He tried again and again, with the same effect. Finally, fed up with the countless tries, he let out an angry cry and the rock reacted. But not in a way he wanted it to.

The annoying black mineral actually darted up a few inches before shrinking back into the floor. Varian tried to catch it, stop its descent but to no avail. Frustrated, he punched the hole the rock left, only for the tip of it popping out and hurt his palm. 

He screamed out more in shock than actual pain. There was a small trail of blood slowly making its way down his palm. He felt the dizziness coming but fought it away. He quickly tore out a piece of his shirt and bandaged the wound. 

He would prefer to clean it first, as a precaution, but there was nothing he could use. So he had to opt for securing the damaged skin until the food came. Because if he got food, he’d get water, too. 

The alchemist let his body slide to the floor, his back to the cold stone wall. Why didn’t it work? It worked the first time, why not the second? 

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a sound to his left. He turned his head and saw a small hatch open at the bottom of the door and someone slid in the tray. He almost laughed as the light from the open hatch gave away his meal. Bread and water. Even worse than what they fed the prisoners back in Corona. There, at least, they tried to provide them with some descent and semi-warm meal. 

The hatch closed as soon as the tray was in and Varian wasted no time getting closer. He only got a half-glass of water, but hoped it would be enough to both clean his hand and relive his dry throat. And if not, he could always wait for the next meal. It’s not like it would be the first time he didn’t eat or drink. 

Pushing away memories before they managed to resurface, he unwrapped his palm and tipped the glass to clean the wound. Then, he rewrapped it in the makeshift bandage and gulped down the rest of water, just few drops left. He ate the bread in silence, almost catching himself at dividing it in two, before he remembered he was alone. 

Not wanting the sour mood to cloud his mind, he quickly downed the rest of the bread and stood up. 

“Again.” He said to himself and almost laughed at how similar to the damned demon he just sounded. 

~~~~~~

Okay, he was getting some progress. At least, that’s what he’s been telling himself. 

For the past… hours, days…? He wasn’t sure. The meals didn’t seem to come at regular time spans, so he couldn’t quite tell, how much time has it been since the lock-out. 

Anyway, for the past time, he’d managed to successfully produce AND hide several black rocks. That counted as a success, right? The other thing was, however, the rocks, once summoned, weren’t entirely listening to him. 

Even though he tried to focus, as Zhan Tiri kept on telling him (for a blasted demon she could be surprisingly good teacher, but he’d never admit it), out of dozens of rocks taking up the small space of his cell, only two or three were summoned by him purposefully. Others tended to sprout whenever he got frustrated or agitated. 

So, they reacted to his emotions, mostly anger. Not that it helped much, as he couldn’t help BUT being angry whenever he didn’t manage to control this powers. He vaguely remembered the red rocks from few weeks ago. They seemed to be connected to fear, so maybe if he was terrified, he would summon red rocks, instead of usual black? He wasn’t going to check that theory though. He wasn’t too keen on being terrified if he could help it. 

For now, he should focus on making those DAMN ROCKS LISTEN TO HIM! the ground under his feet shook and he jumped away just in time for another spike rising from the floor. Perfect, just what he needed, he thought sarcastically, eyeing the rock. 

Okay, one at the time. Until now, he tried to make all rocks disappear at the same time. But maybe he should focus on them one by one, instead? 

He let out a slow sigh and opened his eyes, hand rising towards the newest addition to his cell. 

“Fall back.” He said. The rock shimmered in blue for a few seconds before slowly sinking back into the floor. He couldn’t help pumping his fist into the air. He was starting to get a hang of it!

Just then, his vision swirled and he felt himself falling, reaching out his arms just in time to not let his head hit the floor. His breath felt shallower than before and he knew he was sweating. 

“What the…?” He wondered out loud as he tried to even his breathing. He didn’t feel like this before. Maybe he overdid it? 

Deciding the rest of the rocks can wait a while, he pushed himself into a sitting position and slumped against the wall. A quick nap sounded just right. 

~~~~~~

He awoke to the sound of hatch opening. A hand slipped the tray in and he pushed the previous one closer. He had no need of the trays loitering around his small cell, so he was sure to give them back next time the meal was served. 

The hand grabbed the tray and the ray of light was gone. Varian slowly munched on the bread and drank water, as he tried to remember what he was dreaming about. He had a feeling it was something important, although he couldn’t quite remember what it was. 

He closed his eyes and focused on that feeling, his mind spinning. Come on, what was it? Something blue blinked in front of his closed eyes and he opened them with a start, 

“That’s it!” He cried out triumphantly. “The Moonstone! It can control the rocks! If only I can get my hands on it then-” He stopped mid-sentence as he suddenly remembered. 

The Moonstone wasn’t in the Dark Kingdom anymore. It was in Corona, in the possession of Cassandra. 

He slumped back onto the floor, all the positive energy leaving him in an instance. So what he figured out what he was lacking? It’s not like he could go and grab it. Cassandra would never give it away. Not for Rapunzel, and definitely not for him. 

He let out a tired sigh as he closed his eyes, exhausted. Why was his life so full of obstacles? All he ever wanted was for his dad to be proud of him and for his inventions to help other citizens of Old Corona. But he could never have that, could he? Everything he did, everything that happened around him seemed to serve only one purpose. Prove to him, that he wasn’t meant to be happy. He didn’t deserve happiness. 

Once again a thought occurred to him. The same one that kept pestering him since the day he was thrown into the castle’s prison and the realisation of his action finally came to him. Maybe, after all, it would be better for everyone, if he wasn’t born. 


	18. Just You Wait, I'll Make It Up To You

Varian somehow got himself into a routine. It was the only thing keeping him from going crazy. With no way to keep the track of time, he designed a somewhat daily plan. Somehow, because he wasn’t quite sure the activities took him the same amount of time every time, nor if the meals came at regular times. 

But it was still better than nothing and was keeping him sane. At least for now. 

The plan was quite simple. After he wake up, he would practice controlling the rocks. He would keep going for the next couple of hours, summoning and banishing the rocks (with more or less success, depending on… whatever). Then he would rest, since he was getting tired quite easily and didn’t really want to pass from exhaustion. Somewhere around the time he was finished with his break, the meal would be provided and he would eat and then do some more practice. If the meal didn’t come, he just switched the two. After he was done, he would lean against the wall and try to get some sleep. 

It wasn’t ideal. It was far from it. After a few times of going through, what he believed was, a day, he wanted to do something more. Something different than summoning rocks (or trying to at least), resting, eating and sleeping. But the hard truth was: there was nothing else he could do. There was literally nothing in the cell he was locked in, save for the rocks he summoned (consciously or unconsciously). 

Even if he wanted to at least try and devise some new theories or anything of the sort, he had nothing to write with. He knew he had a great memory. He still remembered the code he used to decipher the Demanitus Scroll. But remembering the code and coming up with new theories was different. He couldn’t keep up all of this in his head. He needed something to write down his thoughts, so they don’t get mixed up. 

So, practice, rest, eat or practice, sleep… repeat. 

Varian sighed tiredly as he leaned against the wall. The meal didn’t come yet, so that meant he should be practicing. But, if he had to be honest, he started doubting this was such a good idea. After all, what good would it do? 

Sure, he could try and escape, but what then? He didn’t know where he was OR how to get outside. There were at least dozen of Saporians in the base and there is no way he’s going to outrun or fight all of them and win. They would catch him and throw him back into his cell, or somewhere even worse, before he could even find his way out of this place. And that’s all considering he can actually MAKE the rocks do what he wants them to. They tended to not listen to him far too often to try something that crazy. 

His train of thoughts was interrupted abruptly, when something unexpected happened. Someone approached the door to his cell, but instead of the hatch opening, like it usually did, he heard a click and the door opened. He sat there mouth ajar, not really comprehending what was going on. After all this time, it seemed too surreal to see the door open. 

“Well, well, well.” A too-familiar male voice sounded in the doorway and even though the light from behind showed him only the silhouette, Varian knew who the person was. “Seems like you’ve been busy these past few days, kid.”

The alchemist couldn’t see the man’s face but he could almost imagine him making an amused smile. Andrew took a few steps forward and his eyes scanned the small room, almost completely overrun by the black rocks. 

“I gotta say, I’m impressed.” The man hummed approvingly and his gaze moved back to the boy. “Looks like you only needed a little ‘alone time’ to get a hang of those powers.”

“N-not entirely.” Varian finally spoke up, his voice hoarse from too many days of silence. He cleared his throat, before continuing. “I can only control them to… to some extent. Most of these-” He moved his hand in the directions of the rocks. “-appeared rather reacting to my emotions than will.”

“Are you trying to say you are still as useless as you were since the last time we’ve seen each other?” Varian could imagine the male’s brow rising questioningly, almost in a mocking way.

“T-that’s not what I meant!” He argued in panic. “I can still control them, just not all the time!”

“That means you need to practice more, right?” Andrew’s voice was cold, even tired. Like he had no more patience for the boy’s magic problems. Varian felt anger boiling inside him. How can he act like it was so easy to control the rocks?

“Look, I don’t know how much time I’ve been stuck in here! But I’ve practiced all I could and this is the best I can do in the current situation.” He threw his arms around, as if to prove his point. “The magic isn’t something you can easily control. Not without some kind of way to contain it. And that THING is the Moonstone, which, surprise surprise, I DON’T HAVE! So get off me, I’m doing my best here!”

The silence that followed was tense. Varian was trembling with anger which he finally could let out, and Andrew stood there, staring at the boy as if he suddenly grew a pair of wings on his head. 

“So… if you had the Moonstone, you could control it?” The question stunned the alchemist. If he had the moonstone…

“I-I think so…” He replied after a moment. “Cass...andra is able to, although she didn’t have any magic before, so… it’s probable.”

Andrew hummed in response, gripping his chin in thought. Seemingly coming to the decision, he turned around and took a few steps. 

“Alright, we can work with that.” He said stepping out of the cell. 

Varian stared at him dumbfounded. That was it? Did he came here just to check on his progress and was going to leave him in the cell again? For how long? Are they going to let him out at some point? Or is he supposed to stay down there until…? He shuddered at the thought of continuing the thought. 

“Well?” Andrew’s voice called him out of his thoughts and back to reality. He was standing in the doorway, looking at the boy expectantly. He blinked, not really understanding the action. The male sighed tiredly and turned around. “Are you going or do you prefer to stay here?”

The question was simple, yet it make Varian’s mind go completely blank. He was… letting him out…? 

Andrew tapped his foot impatiently and Varian jumped up, almost tripping over his own feet. A black rock spurred out from the floor and he made a grab for it, stabilizing himself. The Saporian observed the whole situation with amusement in his eyes. 

“Maybe you’re not so useless after all.” He said more to himself rather to anyone else. They exited the cell and Varian noticed one of the Saporians, whose name he didn’t know, locking the door behind them.

Varian let out a sigh of relief, as they reached his old room and he was let inside. It wasn’t a dream. He really wasn’t in the cell anymore. 

“Tomorrow we’ll figure out how to get you this Moonstone.” Andrew said as he grabbed for the handle and started closing the door. “Now go to sleep. You’ve earned it.”

The door close and the alchemist was left in the darkness so different from the one he was used to for the past days. The moon was shining through the window and he stared at it with a smile on his face. He felt a little pang of guilt at how he was feeling but he couldn’t help it. He slept peacefully that night, dreaming of his family and friends back in Corona. And, for once, he didn’t feel so overwhelmed with everything that was going on. 


	19. If It's The Last Thing I Ever Do

Varian was just finishing the breakfast, the ham sandwich tasting hevenly after days of eating only dry bread, when he heard someone clearing a throat behind his back. He turned around, the bread sticking from his mouth, to see very irritated Juniper. Oh boy.

“What?” He asked, quickly swallowing the sandwich before speaking. “I didn’t do anything yet.”

“Zhan Tiri wants to see you, so better keep on moving.” The woman replied scrunching at his plate with one last sandwich. “Seriously, out of everything available you chose  **this** ? Bread and ham?”

“I like ham sandwiches.” Varian shrugged in response and pushed the last one into his mouth. 

He stood up and picked up his plate. He didn’t want to enter any arguments with the woman, he was too tired for it. He brought the plate to the kitchen window and managed a quick ‘thank you’, before Juniper forcefully grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.

“Hey, what’s with the rush?” He questioned as he fell in step with the woman. She scoffed and didn’t even turned to him. 

“When Zhan Tiri says she wants something, she gets it as fast as it is possible.”She answered without slowing down. Varian had to jog to match her speed. 

He didn’t reply anything, opting to stay quiet. The woman apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed and he didn’t want to start a day with a quarrel that did nothing except put him in the foul mood. 

They took twists and turns, finding themselves in another part of the base, unknown to the alchemist. He wondered what business the demon had with him, as the training didn’t seem to be the case. This wasn’t the way to the courtyard. 

After another turn, he wondered how big the base actually was. He was aware his knowledge of the building was limited to few rooms, but still, it looked like every time he got the grasp of the estimated size, he was taken to the part he didn’t yet knew about. Moreover, all the corners, overlapping corridors and twists made him confused and lose the sense of direction. 

Finally, after few more minutes of walking, Juniper stopped in front of the door. They looked the same as any other door. No label or symbol to get through. For the upteempth time Varian wondered how the Saporian’s knew where everything was. He didn’t have time to ponder about it, though, as he spotted Zhan Tiri approaching from the other side of the corridor. 

“Ah, you’re here. Good.” She said, nodding in the direction of the Saporian woman. She didn’t return the gesture, but turned around and left, leaving the alchemist alone with the demon. 

He shifted on his feet, unsure of the purpose he was brought here. Even more, they seemed to stand in the corridor full of doors he knew nothing about, and Zhan Tiri didn’t move from where she was standing few feet in front of him.

“Erm… why am I-?” The alchemist started but Zhan Tiri quickly interrupted him. 

“I heard you’ve made some… progress, in the passing days.” She said, eyeing him. He shifted uncomfortably under the gaze but nodded. She hummed thoughtfully. 

“Not… not much, but it’s something.” He replied. He felt obliged to say something to explain the situation. “I still have trouble controlling the rocks, but I can summon one or two if I am focused enough.”

“And you seem to believe you need the Moonstone to fully control it, correct?” The demon questioned. 

“W-well, yeah. At-at least I think so…” He wasn’t so sure about this theory but it seemed plausible enough. 

“Well, at the moment it is not possible to gain the Moonstone.” Zhan Tiri shut him up and turned around, moving back from where she came from. It took Varian a few seconds to realize he should follow. “But in the meantime, I have prepared something, which might still be of use for you.”

They approached one of the doors and she pushed them open, revealing a medium-sized room. Inside stood two rows of shelves, filled with various scrolls and books. 

“What… what is this?” He asked, cautiously stepping inside. He reached for one of the scrolls but stopped mid-action, shooting an uncertain gaze at the demon. She silently nodded and waved a hand, prompting him to take it. 

He unrolled the scroll and his eyes widened. On the parchment was the drawing of the crystal, oval in shape and glistening like the moon. Next to the picture were encrypted notes, which his mind translated almost immediately. 

“The Moonstone was known for the generations and, even after such time, very few is known about its power… This is!” He cried out in shock, looking up at the demon. 

“Everything that is known about the Moonstone and the power you possess.” Zhan Tiri confirmed, looking around the room. “You are a scientist, are you not? So it seems fitting you learn as much as you can about your powers from reliable source, and not some myth or legend.”

“How can I be sure all of this is real?” Varian questioned. “For all I know, you could have made this all up.”

“And for what purpose, may I ask?” The demon replied. “But if you need a proof, just look at the scroll again. But  **really** look at it.”

He obeyed, his eyes casting back to the paper. They traced every line and every word, not really understanding how can any of it be a proof. He was just about to say it, when he noticed. The words. They weren’t written in the language used in Corona, or any other kingdom he knew of. But he was still able to read them. The question was, how. He squinted his eyes and looked again. He took a sharp inhale, as the realisation hit him. 

“The code… The-the code. It’s all encrypted.” He blurred out, both excited and confused. If he looked at Zhan Tiri at that moment, he would have seen her grinning, but he was too preoccupied with his finding. “A-and I know this code. It was… it was used in the…” He stopped mid-sentence and looked back at the demon, who was grinning widely now, the ever-chilling half-face smile on her face. “The Demanitus Scroll…” He whispered out, shocked. “So that means-!” His gaze wandered to the shelves lined with other books and scrolls.

“It was written by Demanitus himself, yes.” Zhan Tiri confirmed and he felt his breath quickening. 

This… the whole room was FILLED with scrolls and books written by Demanitus! The famous Coronan inventor and his idol. 

“I’ll leave you with your study material then, Moon Child.” He heard the demon say and faintly registered her moving towards the door. “I hope you’ll have a fruitful time.”

With that words, the door closed behind her and Varian was left alone. He almost squealed in joy and excitement as his mind finally caught up with him. With a goofy smile on his face, he gathered as many scrolls and books he could hold in his hands, sat down on the floor and unrolled the first parchment. 

~~~~~~

Varian stared at his notes, the cold chill creeping up his spine. No… that was not possible. He must have misunderstood something.

He picked up the notebook and read the last few sentences again. He took up the book he was reading just moments ago and found the right paragraph, his eyes scanning the text. He read it again and again, the words not really coming through. 

_ Curse…  _

The words seemed to stare right back at him, rooting deep into his mind. He couldn’t believe it… 

At first he was ecstatic. He swallowed book after book and scroll after scroll. His wrist hurt from frantically scribbling down notes from the reading, his mind not really registering what he was writing. Only after hours of working, when he wrote those words, his mind seemed to finally catch up. And come to an abrupt stop. 

_ Curse _ …

The words were burned into the paper, mocking him. This couldn’t be right… But at the same time, he knew. Demanitus wouldn’t lie. Not about something like this.

He looked back at the book, the words in the paragraph sending a chill down his spine. 

_ The power of the Moon is misleadingly called so. The true form it takes is much more sinister. It is not the power, although it might seem like it. In truth, Moon is a curse. It deceives makes one think they can do anything. And in this daze, this rush of power, they don’t notice the truth, until it’s too late. The Moon gives power, but in exchange, it takes away what is the most precious. The Moon kills those, who search its power. It kills those who use its power. Slowly, steadily, little by little. And when they finally notice, it is impossible to stop it.  _

_ The Moonstone was created in the hope of stopping the curse, while still being able to use that power. But, in the end, Moon always gets what it wants. The Moonstone isn’t the cure, it only serves to delay the inevitable.  _

Varian stared at those words, his mind blank, except for one thought. At the end of the battle, whoever the winner will be, he won’t be among them. This power… this  **curse** will end with him. Because, when the battle will be over… 

So will his life.


	20. I Will Make You Proud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of sacrificial suicide, manipulation, Zhan Tiri. If I missed anything, let me know.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Varian questioned the moment Zhan Tiri strolled into the room. She cocked her head in surprise.

“I was not aware I should tell you anything, Moon Child.” She replied, her eyes scanning the room. There were books and scrolls set in piles on the floor, random notes lying around. “I take it your little study session was fruitful.”

“Fruit-!” The boy gasped at the words and shook in anger. “Damn fruitful! I know everything! You lied to me!”

“About what, exactly?” The demon didn’t look at him, picking up one of the notes and scanning it. 

“This… It’s not power! It’s a curse!” He cried in anger. “It kills whoever uses it! Were you even going to tell me about it?!”

“Why? Would you even believe me?” She questioned and he stared back at her. “From what I gathered, you don’t really put much trust in what I say.”

“That… You still could have said anything!” He argued, but it wasn’t as strong as previously. Would he believe it, if she told him about the curse? About how the power is killing him? 

“I could.” She agreed. “Or, I could provide you with a way to find out by yourself, from a much more reliable source, don’t you agree?”

“And if I had the Moonstone…? Would it really prolog the time I have?” He asked in a quieter voice. 

“Yes.” The demon replied and his head shot up. “But I need it to stay with Cassandra. She, too, has a role to play in this battle.”

“But… isn’t it also killing her?” Varian questioned. “If the Moon power itself is a curse, then the Moonstone-”

“That is not your concern, Moon Child.” Zhan Tiri interrupted. “If I were you, I would practice some more, so you can actually try and use your power in the upcoming battle.”

“But the curse-!” He argued but the demon was quick to shut him up.

“Won’t act so soon, since you’ve been using your powers for only a week now.” She said, her gaze stern. “Unless you aren’t planning on using all of it at once, I wouldn’t be worried.”

He fell silent, pondering about what he learned. Zhan Tiri said he’d be fine, unless he uses too much power at once. He shouldn’t be worried about that, since his level of control wasn’t enough to go full-god-mode anytime soon. Then, something else he heard hit him.

“Wait… you said a week?” He asked, his eyes wide. 

“Why, yes. What of it?” Now Zhan Tiri was truly puzzled. Why was the boy so interested in how much time has passed. It didn’t really mattered at this point. 

“When… when are they planning an attack?” Varian’s voice trembled. It couldn’t be… did it was almost two weeks already?

“In two days. A little bit earlier than originally planned.” The demon replied and a knowing smirk appeared on her face. “You sent the message to the princess, didn’t you, Moon Child?”

His eyes widened in horror. She knew about that? Did that mean… Andrew knew too…?

“He doesn’t know about your little betrayal.” Zhan Tiri’s voice ringed in his ears. “Not that it matters, at this point. Either way, Corona will fall. With or without their knowledge.”

“No.. that’s… they have Rapunzel… and Eugene… and Max… and…” His head spun, vision after vision, each more worrying than the previous one. Corona in flames. His friends, lying motionless on the ground. The Saporian flag waving at the top of the castle. Himself, either dead or thrown out from the kingdom. His dad’s disappointed gaze. 

“Oh, yes. The Sundrop and her little tea party.” The demon laughed. “I wonder how will she react to know not one but TWO of her so-called friends have sided with the enemy. You think she’ll be angry? Sad?  **Heartbroken?** ”

Varian felt something trailing down his cheek. He rose his finger and touched it, surprised to find it wet. Oh… he was crying, wasn’t he?

“This will, for sure, be the sight to enjoy.~” Zhan Tiri sing-songed as she circled around the alchemist. “Those green eyes, widening in realization, when she finally understands what’s going on. And you… using the black rocks. She will feel betrayed, won’t she?”

“No! I would never-!” He tried to argue but his voice was stuck in his throat. 

“Oh… but you did.” The demon cooed, her grin widening. “The moment you agreed to work for the Saporians, all the weapons you built for them… the automaton you so eagerly decided to drive into battle. It all speaks for itself.”

Varian slumped to the floor, his knees giving out under him. He hid his face in his hands, crying. 

“I didn’t want it. I didn’t want it. I didn’t want it.” He repeated over and over, his whole frame shaking. 

“Did you?” Zhan Tiri whispered into his ear. “Because if you truly didn’t want to betray her… why didn’t you chose the other option?”

It took him only a few seconds to realize, what she was talking about. Traitors to Saporia pay with their lives. If he didn’t agree to help them, he would…

“See? In the end, it was your choice, Moon Child.” Zhan Tiri whispered and he heard her stepping away, creeking the door open. “You chose to betray her.”

He heard the door lock behind her and he bowed lower, shaking with spasms of tears. It was like that day in the snowstorm, one year ago. It was just like it, and different at the same time. Because, this time, it wasn’t Rapunzel who betrayed him. This time, it was him who betrayed  **her** . 

~~~~~~

It was late at night, and he was still awake. After his hysteria back in the study room, it took him several hours to finally calm down. When Juniper came to pick him up, he wordlessly followed her to the cafeteria, forced some food into his stomach just enough to last until next meal, and silently went back to his room. 

There, he laid promptly on his bed and stared at the ceiling since then. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t even know if he wanted to, terrified of the nightmares that could taunt him. So he just laid, staring at the ceiling. 

More than once he came back to the conversation with Zhan Tiri. He tried to find loopholes in her reasoning. To prove he didn’t, in fact, betray Rapunzel. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t find any other explanation. And it made his stomach turn. 

_ If only I died _ , he thought. But what would that change? All of Corona already thought of him as the villain. If he died now, it wouldn’t change anything. 

His train of thoughts stopped abruptly, as an idea hit him. If he died now, nothing would change. But what if…

He once again remembered what the demon said. 

_ Unless you aren’t planning on using it all at once, I wouldn’t be worried. _ That’s what she said. So… what if he did. But not in the way she thinks he would.

What if… he used it to HELP Corona. What if he somehow managed to push Saporians away, make them leave the battle. Would that… redeem him of his crimes…?

He pondered about that thought. Sure, the idea was risky. He didn’t have much control, so he wasn’t sure it’s even going to work. But… it’s worth a try. 

And the automaton…if he could somehow use it to thin Saporian forces, would that show Corona which side he was truly on? Sure, he remembered both Andrew and Juniper threatening him about turning against them. But in reality…? He didn’t really care at this point. If he does it during the battle and gives Rapunzel and the others a way to defeat the Saporians, his dad shouldn’t be in danger. 

Plus… if everything goes the way he plans… they won’t have a reason to hurt him anymore. After all, even if Saporia wins, he won’t be around anymore. And with him gone… his dad will finally be safe.


	21. I Will Make You Have Faith In Me

It was the middle of the night. The moon was high in the sky, its light shining down on the bare fields. Varian could see the wall dividing them from Corona from where he was seated inside the automaton. 

It was two days after his revelation about the true form of his power. No, not power. A curse. A curse that led to nothing else, but death. His hands curled on the handles controlling the machine, as he reminded himself of his decision. If it comes to the worst, he will find a way to use everything he got against the Saporians. 

It still hurt whenever he came back to his last conversation with Zhan Tiri. He really did betray Corona, didn’t he? The proof was all around him. Saporians armed with alchemical weapons of his design. Himself, inside the automaton built to help them fight.

Traitors pay with their lives… The Saporian motto echoed in his mind and he laughed sadly at how true it was. His fate was already decided, wasn’t it? Whatever the outcome, he will die tonight. Whether it will be by Saporian or Coronan hands, or because of his curse. 

His eyes moved up and he stared at the night sky. It was full moon tonight. According to what he learned, this was the time he was the most powerful. He… and Cass. 

He looked down and looked at the woman standing in the shadows. She appeared yesterday, brought by Zhan Tiri. She was going to aid them in the attack, she said, as they had a common goal. 

Varian still didn’t understand what happened to change her so much. She was the Princess’ Lady-in-waiting, her guard and best friend. How come she now had the powers Rapunzel was destined to claim, standing against the one she swore to protect. 

He tried to talk to her the day she arrived at the hideout. Tried to understand her. And, most of all, to warn her about the curse she claimed together with the Moonstone. But she didn’t listen. She didn’t even spare him a glance, walking away with Zhan Tiri, leaving him alone in the hallway. 

A movement somewhere to his left caught his attention. He saw a figure making its way towards where they were hiding, in the woods directly opposite the wall. The moon looked out from behind the clouds, and he noticed long black hair, braided and tied at the top of the head. 

Juniper approached Andrew with a pleasant grin on her face.

“Only ten guards, spread all over the wall.” She reported quietly, but Varian was close enough to understand what she was saying. Andrew hummed thoughtfully in response and grabbed his chin, eyes scanning the perimeter of the wall. 

“Which place is the least guarded?” He asked, his gaze staring into the distance. 

“Surprisingly, the part they rebuilt last year, after it was broken down by the rocks.” Juniper laughed and pointed at the specific point. Even from the distance, Varian could see the difference in wall colour, showing exactly which part was renovated. 

“Surprising, indeed.” Andrew nodded as he scanned the particular spot. “I figured they would guard it better, since it doesn’t have the resistance the other parts have gained through the years. And, it’s the part that connects to the old road.”

“Exactly my thoughts.” Juniper agreed and laughed again. “Coronans are really stupid, aren’t they?”

“Makes our job easier.” The male simply stated and turned to Cassandra. She was sitting on a nearby rock, sharpening her sword with a piece of black rock. “Think you can make a door for us, Cassie?”

“ **You** don’t get to call me that,  _ Hubert _ .” She seethed and few of the men chuckled at the response. Andrew glared at them and they quickly silenced. 

“Whatever you say, Cassie.” He replied with a shrug. “Can you do it or not?”

“What I can or can’t do is not your concern.” Cass stood up and marched up closer, towering over the man. “But if you keep annoying me, I won’t hesitate to kill you. You need me, not the other way around.” 

“Fine, fine.” Andrew lifted his hands in the air but the smirk didn’t leave his face. “Just do your part.”

“With pleasure.” Now Cassandra smirked too and turned towards the wall. 

She closed her eyes and let out a deep exhale, before opening them again. She lifted one hand and black rocks sprouted from the ground. Slowly at first, they soon sped up, rushing towards the wall. Varian could pinpoint the exact moment the guards noticed them, as they froze at first and then started to scramble away. 

The rocks reached the wall but didn’t stop, climbing up the stone bricks. When the last rocks appeared on the top of the wall, Cassandra clenched her fist.

The stones exploded, chunks of the wall falling down to the ground with a loud thud. The smoke covered the area and Andrew gave the signal to move. By the time the smoke started to clear, they were already climbing up the debris. 

Varian could hear the guards shouting commands to step away. Probably the villagers heard the commotion and went out to see, what’s happening. The thought made his stomach drop, as he remembered where he was. The moment they see the alchemy bombs, or the automaton, they will know it’s him. And they didn’t really forgive him for his previous mistakes. He was only adding oil to the flame. 

~~~~~~

Rapunzel was grinning. She kept on pestering her dad for days, since Ruddiger came with the message. She didn’t feel at ease with sending only two additional guards to the border of the kingdom. So she asked and asked, dropped hints until the King decided to give her some men to go and check out the wall herself. 

She knew, it was only so she stop asking and he didn’t really believe the message was true, but it was more than enough. So this was how Rapunzel found herself sitting in front of Eugene on Maximus, following Captain and other guards towards Old Corona and the border. It was the middle of the night, but the Princess refused to wait until the morning, and her father reluctantly agreed to go now. 

She could already see the village in the distance. The sight made her stomach drop, as he remembered the big castle-like building by the wall. She visited Quirin the same day Ruddiger returned. She brought the raccoon with her and relayed whatever she managed to learn. 

She remembered the moment she jumped down from Max’s back, Quirin meeting her in the doorway. His eyes lit up when he saw the raccoon but dulled soon after, when he realized his son wasn’t with him. She felt tears threatening to fall, as the man kneeled down to pick up the animal and hugged it to his chest, praying for Varian’s safety. She didn’t stay long after, deciding to leave the two alone. 

And now she was back, entering the village with a group of guards, heading for the wall. She looked up and saw two guards, frantically scrambling away from a particular part of the stone. Captain noticed it too, and gave a sign to stop, his eyes staring into the wall. 

That’s when she heard it. A familiar sound, something she dreaded to hear again. It went up the wall and reached the top. Everything went silent for a few moments. And then the wall blew up. The stones and bricks exploded, falling down in large chunks. The smoke and dust reached them in no time, irritating her eyes and throat. 

“Everyone to the wall!” She heard Captain yelling and felt Max moving through the smoke. 

She heard aroused voices of the villagers, leaving their homes to check what happened. The guards tried to stop the crowd from approaching, shouting to stay away. The smoke slowly cleared out and she coughed to clear her throat. 

“Knock knock, Corona.” A too-familiar voice sounded in the night and her eyes flew to the damaged part of the wall. 

There, standing on the debris, stood Cass. Her blue hair moved gently in the wind and she smirked evilly at the gathered crowd. More figures climbed the debris and her stomach dropped as she noticed the Saporians. And then, as if it wasn’t enough already, something even bigger made its way up the broken wall. The mechanical head with red-coloured glass window appeared over the bricks, before the whole machine stood at the top, behind the Saporians.

Rapunzel’s stomach dropped even more, when she noticed a person sitting inside. There, staring right at her with wide blue eyes… was Varian. 


	22. I Will Prove That The Way I Used To Be Is All In The Past

Varian was frozen. The whole world was frozen. He didn’t see anything, except for those wide green eyes, staring straight at him. He was pretty sure he wasn’t breathing, he didn’t even remember how to. All he could see was green, green, green everywhere. 

He couldn’t look away. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t do anything except stare into the green eyes. He could see the turmoil of emotions behind them. At first it was relief, which quickly turned into a shock. But the worst was what came after. It was the look he hoped to never see in those green eyes. Betrayal. 

Oh, the irony, his mind whispered but it was quiet and barely hearable. All he saw was green, and all he heard was the soft buzzing of the automaton. He betrayed her, he broken the trust she put in him. He’s a  **traitor** . 

The word echoed in his mind and his vision blurred with tears. But he didn’t look away. He couldn’t. 

They were both frozen in time. Staring at each other, oblivious to what was going on around him. It was just him and her at this moment. The traitor and the princess. 

He was faintly aware the battle must have started. He heard muffled shouts, the clinging of metal against metal, the explosions from his bombs. 

Suddenly, one of the colorful spheres flew in her direction. But she didn’t see it. She only saw him, green staring into blue. He wanted to warn her, to shout for her to get away. But his voice was stuck in his throat, no sound coming out. All he could see was green, all he could hear was the battle raging in the background. 

The moments before the bomb hit its target, someone barrelled into her, sending the princess and her saviour to the side. The explosion clouded his vision, his eyes scanning the surrounding in a haste. She had to be okay, she had to!

He saw her slowly standing up, Eugene holding up a hand for her. He suddenly remembered how to breathe, a deep breath escaping his lungs. She was okay…

~~~~~~

“Are you okay, Sunshine?” Eugene’s words sounded over the ringing in her ears. She shook her head to get rid of the annoying sound and her vision swimmed. He quickly caught her and she sent him a grateful smile.

“Yeah, just a little dizzy.” She replied, stabilizing herself. He eyed her dubiously. 

“Are you sure? You kinda zoned out there…” The man saw her flinch and sighed. “Look, Blondie. If you can’t do this, we can totally hold ourselves without you.”

“No!” She argued a little too loud. “No, it’s just…” Her eyes wandered to the automaton, still frozen in the same position at the top of the debris. “I never thought I’ll see him like this again.”

“Tell me about it. The kid’s got a thing for dramatic entrances.” Eugene joked but his laugh died when he saw her hurt expression. He sighed and grabbed her by the shoulders. “I wanted to believe he was on our side too, but this?” His hand waved towards the machine and her heart sank. “It doesn’t look good.”

“I… but look, he’s not doing anything!” Rapunzel argued desperately. “I still refuse to believe what they are saying. He couldn’t have-” Her voice cracked as the next words got stuck in her throat.

“Betrayed us?” Eugene finished and she flinched. 

“Eugene, I know how it looks like. But we both know how he feels about betrayals.” She was growing desperate. “And he changed. I know he has!”

“I… okay.” The man sighed in defeat. “I don’t believe it, but I believe in you, Sunshine. If you think he’s still on our side, then we just have to prove it, right?” He turned to the battlefield, Saporians clashing with guards. “Easy peasy.” He gulped nervously.

~~~~~~

Someone banged at the metal and Varian shook out from his shock and looked down. Juniper was standing by the leg of the automaton, sending angry glares in his direction. 

“What the hell are you doing, brat?!” She shouted. “You agreed to use your robot in the battle, so stop moping and get the hell down there!”

“I-” Varian tried to explain but she shut him off. 

“Either you get your traitorous ass down there, or I swear I’ll scale that thing, kick you out and do it myself!” She threatened and he felt a chill going up his spine. 

“Y-you won’t fit.” He argued but she didn’t want any of it. 

“Just get down there before I change my mind, brat!” She shouted and ran off, her sword raised and a battle cry on her lips. 

Varian gulped and eyed the battlefield. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to do this. Everything around him was red. Red, red, red, red, red! All he could see was red. It was the same red as that time. 

And suddenly, he wasn’t on the battlefield again. There were no Saporians versus Royal Guards.

“Mom! Cass!” He heard a female cry and saw Rapunzel, staring in terror at him. No… not at him, at who he was holding. 

Long brown hair and purple dress to his left. Short dark hair and grey shirt to his left. They were squirming, trying to pull the mechanical fingers apart, trying to save themselves. But the fingers weren’t letting go. They were squishing more and more, letting the agonizing cries enter his ears. 

He closed his eyes, he put his hands to his ears. Make it stop. Somebody, make it stop!

“Varian!” Someone shouted and he opened his eyes. 

Rapunzel was there, expression firm, her hands reaching for the black stones. She grabbed them before he could react. The light exploded into his eyes, blinding him. He heard the stones coming closer and closer. He heard them piercing through the metal, breaking it into pieces. They were closer, closer. He could feel them coming for him. Just a moment away… It will be all over soon. 

A battlecry shook him awake. No… that can’t be… He… knew that voice. But it was impossible. He couldn’t be here! He couldn’t see him like this!

His eyes scanned the surrounding and finally stopped on a large figure, making its way through the Saporian forces. His heart skipped a beat, his breath hitched. 

“Dad…” He whispered. 


	23. I Will Save The Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Andrew, Animal Hurt, Getting Impaled (sorta). If I missed anything, let me know.

“Your Highness!” A familiar voice called out and Rapunzel spun rapidly, meeting the man with the bewildered expression. 

“Quirin!” She breathed out. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my village.” He replied simply and used his large sword to push away another enemy. “Have you seen Varian?”

“I…” Rapunzel stopped and looked at the man. Should he tell him what he saw. That Varian was riding the automaton, presumably to aid Saporians in their attack. Granted, he didn’t make any movements until now, but who was to tell. 

“Princess,  **please** .” The words were pleading. She bit her lip before deciding. 

“Yes, he’s-” 

“Ah, Quirin of Old Corona.” A male voice interrupted her and they both turned around to see Andrew making his way towards them. “Varian told me so much about you.”

Quirin crunched his brows and rose his sword towards the man.

“What have you done to my son? Where is he?” He questioned angrily. 

“Oh, right where he belongs to. Helping Saporia.” He pointed behind his back with his thumb. Quirin followed the direction and saw the machine, automaton they called it, standing by the sidelines. He squinted his eyes and they widened in shock as he took a notice of his son’s figure hunched inside. 

“Let him go!” He growled at the Saporian and the male laughed in response. 

“I don’t think so. He still has some uses for us.” Andrew replied and smirked. “Frankly, I was surprised when he suggested he will ride it to the battle. He was so eager, I wonder how large grudge he holds against you.” At that words he spared a glance at Rapunzel. 

“Impossible!” Quirin argued and Saporian laughed again. 

“I am only telling the truth.” He shrugged. 

“I refuse to believe he did it so he could attack us!” Rapunzel shouted. “More like, he did it so you don’t cause any more damage.” 

“Hm… maybe he did. But it doesn’t change anything.” Andrew pointed his sword at the large man. “Because he knows what will happen if he fails to obey.”

With that words he launched at the man. Rapunzel was pushed away as the two clashed with their swords. They jumped away and circled, before meeting again and again, Quirin stopping any of the other man's attempts to strike him. 

“I gotta say…” Andrew spoke as they circled around once more. “You sure know how to fight.”

“You, on the other hand, speak more than fight.” The old knight replied, his eyes not leaving his opponent even for a second. 

“True, but I have more tricks up my sleeve.” At that he reached for his pocket and in one quick motion shoved a pink ball in the other’s direction.

Quirin covered his eyes but the smoke cleared fast and Andrew was at him again. He tried to step back, only to lose balance and fall down, his legs stuck to the ground. Rapunzel shouted in alarm, as a sword loomed over his head. 

~~~~~~

Varian was moving. The moment he saw Andrew throw the goo-bomb he lunged towards the two. 

“Dad!” He cried in panic. He was too far away. He wasn’t going to make it.

Suddenly something hit him from the side and he was launched in the air, before hitting the ground few feet away. Before he managed to get up, black rocks sprouted from the ground, trapping the automaton. 

Terrified, he looked to the battlefield, noticing Cass some distance away. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, before rejoining the battle. Why did she stop him? How could she stop him when he only wanted to save his-

“Dad!” He shouted and scrambled for the trapdoor. 

Thankfully, it was unharmed and he opened it with one swift motion and pushed himself out of the robot, looking to where his dad was last he saw him. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Rapunzel reaching for the small vial and pouring the content over the goo. It dispatched quickly and she helped the man up.

He was safe. But what about-? 

His eyes took notice of the figure, trashing and fighting something small and grey… Ruddiger, he noticed with horror. The brave raccoon must have jumped at Andrew the moment he tried to strike his dad and was now clawing furiously at his face. 

Just then, the Saporian grabbed the animal by the scruff and showed it away. Ruddiger let out a yelp of pain when his body hit one of the nearby black rocks. 

The world stopped. Varian stared in terror as the raccoon slowly fell to the ground, his form unmoving. He didn’t even notice when he started running, his eyes blurred with tears. His knees scratched as he slid a few feet to stop by the animal.

“Ruddiger!” He cried, his eyes wide and hands reaching to him, stopping just over the body. He was afraid to touch it, afraid to find him not breathing. “R-Ruddiger, please.” He pleaded, tears falling down his eyes. 

He didn’t notice Andrew coming closer. He didn’t notice his dad and Rapunzel’s shouts to watch out. All he could see was Ruddiger’s limp body on the ground. 

A hand grabbed him by the collar and he was lifted to his feet, meeting Andrew’s angry face. 

“So… you’ve decided to betray us once again?” He asked but Varian wasn’t listening. His eyes moved to Ruddiger and then to Andrew. All he saw was red.

“YOU KILLED HIM!” He shouted, clawing at the hand that was holding him. “YOU MONSTER! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED RUDDIGER!”

Andrew pushed him down and he landed painfully on the ground, his head hitting the rocks. He looked back at him, his eyes burning from angered tears. 

“You will pay for this!” He seethed and pushed his hands under him, to help herself up. He didn’t get a chance. 

Something hit him straight in the chest and he stopped in shock. Slowly, his eyes moved down and he saw a piece of blue crystal stuck in his chest, right where his heart was. He opened his mouth to speak. The moon peeked from behind the clouds, shining straight at him.

Pain exploded in his body. His chest hurt. His head hurt. His eyes hurt. His arms, his legs.  **Everything** hurt! He doubled over, kneeling on the ground. He probably screamed, but he didn’t hear anything. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt!

And just like that, when he thought he couldn’t take it any longer… It stopped.

~~~~~~

Rapunzel uncovered her eyes when she felt the wind ceasing. Quirin was right next to her, trying to see anything in the smoke that covered the battlefield. 

It was quiet. Awfully quiet. Just moments ago it was so loud, Varian’s painful screams-

“Varian!” She cried, realizing she couldn’t hear him anymore. 

She turned around, calling his name. Where was he? Why didn’t she hear him? And what was that with the smoke and wind before?

“Var-!” She stopped mid-sentence as the smoke moved away and she took notice of the structure in the middle of the field. 

Black rocks sprouted all over the place. Enormous clusters rose like mountains, reaching high into the sky. And right there, in the middle of the largest cluster, she saw him.

She covered her mouth as a gasp escaped her. Varian was doubled over, his face, his whole body in pain. But that wasn’t what terrified her. No, this was much worse.

Varian was frozen inside the black rocks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes with an art, which you can check out here: https://whitecatindisguise.tumblr.com/post/616362292654817280/okay-you-at-least-some-of-you-asked-for-it-so


	24. And Come Back Here Triumphantly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Possession, Encasement in Black Rocks

He awoke in the dark. If he didn’t feel his eyes open, he would have thought they were closed. But they weren’t, he was sure of it. 

He took a full spin, but still couldn’t see anything, apart from the darkness. For a faint moment he pondered about the idea he was blind, but the thought disappeared just as fast. 

It was weird, actually. He would have thought he would be more panicked about the whole situation. He knew he should be. But, at the same time, he couldn’t feel anything. His mind felt numb, all emotions muted and almost non-existent. 

He sat down and stared into the darkness. How did he even came here? Why was he here? And why there was nothing but the darkness?

His mind spun but he didn’t feel scared, not even confused. Yes, he did ask those questions, but not because he felt something. It was more like the internal need to just  **know** . 

Something caught his eye. It was small, almost blending into the darkness. But it was there. He cocked his head to the side in thought, and he suddenly found himself closer to whatever it was. He wondered how did that happen…?

The thing turned out to be a small black rock. Out of instinct, he lifted his hand and the rock glowed softly. Blue shine wandered through the stone. There was something weird about the rock. But he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

Come to think about it, there was very little he knew. He tried to remember his own name, but nothing came out. He stared at the glowing rock. How curious…

He felt something pricking in his hair. It was weird feeling, like something was flowing through it. No, not the whole head, he noticed. Only one stripe. 

He reached out his hand and grabbed for it. It was luminescent blue and swayed gently, although he could feel no wind. He let go and the hair levitated up. The black rock glowed brighter and few more rocks emerged from the ground. How curious…

Then, out of nowhere, the rocks started to spread. Slowly at first, they gained speed and quickly surrounded his sitting form. He shot upright, startled. The rocks grew closer and closer to his body. 

He tried to move away, but it was as if the rocks had a mind of their own. They grew higher and thicker, until he was completely shut inside. His breathing hitched, eyes darting around. He was trapped, he was trapped, he was trapped. 

Something tugged on his left foot. He looked down to see the rocks holding his leg down, slowly encasing him. He tried to tug his foot free, but it didn’t help at all. 

The rocks kept on growing, now both of his legs encased and they moved up. He struggled to escape. But the more he struggled, the faster the rocks grew. Soon, only his chest and head were free, the rest of his body trapped in blackness.

“Why do you keep on fighting?” A voice asked. He turned his head around but didn’t see anyone. “What is even the point?”

“Help me.” He begged, trying to see who was talking to him. 

“There is only one way out.” The voice said. It seemed to come from every direction at the same time. ‘You have to give up.”

“No, please!” The rocks were moving up his neck now. Tears welled in his eyes. 

“Give up, Moon Child.” The voice repeated. “You can’t escape from your destiny.”

He was fully encased now. Whole body frozen, trapped by the black rocks. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. 

“Embrace your destiny, Moon Child.” The voice sounded in his ears, not muffled by the rocks. His eyelids were heavy. He was starting to lose consciousness. “Give up.”

Finally, his eyes closed. Zhan Tiri stepped out from the shadows, impossible grin on her face. She stared at the frozen alchemist and laughed. Her hand brushed the surface of the stone prison. 

“And now… awake!” 

~~~~~~

The black rocks encasing Varian’s body glowed. The light started from the base and slowly embraced whole structure. The light emanating from the rocks was so bright, the people gathered around it had to cover their eyes to avoid being blinded. 

A powerful explosion shook the ground. People were pushed away, flying several feet through the air before painfully falling to the ground. The wind blew, making it impossible to see what was going on. 

When it finally ceased, and the smoke cleared, there were no more black rocks rising to the sky, lonely figure trapped inside. He was standing free now. No, not standing. He was levitating, his feet barely touching the ground. 

His black bangs were no longer black. Instead, they turned to luminescent blue, gently swaying in the upwards position. His eyes were blue and hollow, irises taking up the whole space, pupils gone. 

People started to whisper. Some took few steps back, unsure what to do next. And Varian was not moving, staying in the same spot he appeared at. Like a puppet, waiting for the tug of the strings. 

“Now that’s more like it!” A voice boomed in the battlefield. Andrew laughed and stared at the alchemist, smirk showing on the man’s face. “How about that, Corona? How will you manage that?”

At the sound of his voice, Varian moved slightly, his hollow eyes turning to the man. The man noticed the gaze and fought the urge to flinch. The gaze was creepy, to be delicate about it. 

“Well, what are you waiting for, kid?” He called impatiently. “Use those powers of yours and show Corona who’s the winner in this battle!”

Varian turned fully to the man now. Slowly, his one arm rose, his eyes never leaving the Saporian. His hand clenched into fist. 

Before anyone could register what happened, a black rock rose from the ground, aiming for the man’s head. He managed to dodge at the last possible moment, the sharp tip grazing his cheek. 

“What the hell?!” He cried, daggers shooting in the direction of the boy. He didn’t took any notice, hand swiping to the left.

Andrew was hit to the side, the black rock sending him flying. Before he reached the ground, two other rocks spurred from the ground and caught his arms mid-air. He struggled to get free, but it was all futile. The rocks grew, expanding to his shoulders, chest and the rest of the body. Soon, the man was fully encased in the rocks, expression of fear frozen on his face. 

The battlefield was silent. Everyone was shocked by what happened. A single battle cry sounded in the air, a furious woman running towards Varian with her sword raised, his back to her. 

People gasped, expecting the boy to take the full hit. The woman didn’t manage to strike, black rocks intercepting her just moments before. 

“I knew we can’t trust you, brat!” Juniper snarled, her raised arms locked in the rock shackles. She didn’t even acknowledge the rocks moving to trap her, like Andrew. “You will pay for this!”

Varian turned around, facing the woman now. His hollow eyes stared right into her, blank expression on his face. She snarled and spat at him. His hand mechanically wiped the saliva from his cheek, as Juniper was fully encased in black rocks. 

Someone screamed. That seemed to wake up people. They started running, screaming and falling into each other. There was chaos. 

Varian stared at the panicked mob. A mad grin, too wide to be real, made his way up his lips. He crunched and shot up, black rocks pushing him forward. 

And on the sidelines, hidden in the shadows, Zhan Tiri cackled, the same grin plastered to her face, as she observed the chaos. 


	25. 'Cause I Long For That Look Of Surprise

Rapunzel was stunned. She couldn’t move from her spot, eyes wide in shock. Her mind was both blank and spinning at the same time, not really comprehending the situation in front of her.

Just moments ago it was a normal battle, Corona versus Saporia. Until that point it still made some sense. But that changed the moment Andrew attacked Quirin. 

Suddenly, Varian was rushing in their direction, only to be intercepted by Cassandra’s black rocks and pinned to the ground. Then, Ruddiger attacked the Saporian leader, saving Quirin. He was injured and Varian rushed to his side, screaming murder to Andrew. The next thing she knew was the full moon showing from behind the clouds, a piece of blue crystal embedding in the boy’s chest, his deadly screams, light and powerful wind. 

Then, everything stopped and she was terrified to see Varian encased in the black rocks, frozen in painful cry. But before her mind could catch up, there was another explosion. When the smoke cleared, Varian was standing free right where his rock prison was just moments ago. But there was something wrong about him. His eyes were hollow, shining like the moon, his hair flying over his head, luminescent blue. 

Andrew seemed to know what was going on and told the boy to attack. But, instead, the alchemist attacked him, encasing the man in the black rocks. Then the crazy Saporian woman came and tried to attack Varian, only to meet the same fate as her leader. After that, was the chaos. 

People started screaming and running wildly, terrified of the boy’s powers. And Varian… he smiled (but not the normal smile, his smile was evil, impossible to happen, taking half of his face) and shot after them. 

She felt her head hurt as she stood petrified, trying to make sense of the situation. But no matter how much she tried, she just couldn’t. 

“Rapunzel, watch out!” Eugene shouted and barrelled into her, sending both of them rolling to the ground. 

She looked back to where she stood, noticing with horror a trail of black rocks, ending with another encased victim. She scrambled up, terrified. 

“What’s going on?” She heard Pete scream, as he jumped away from another barrage of rocks, chasing a person. 

“Sunshine, we have to hide.” Eugene’s voice was urgent. She nodded and let herself be led away, running to find some cover. 

They barged into the most stable-looking house, meeting startled gazes of the villagers. 

“Princess Rapunzel!” Someone gasped and her eyes found a large figure standing protectively in front of the villagers. At her sight, he relaxed and dropped his sword. 

“Quirin…” She breathed, only now noticing they’ve taken refugee in the village leader’s house. “I am so sorry for intruding, but…”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness.” He shook his head, the sword hanging by his side. “It’s… it’s not safe outside.”

There was more shouting from behind the door, and more people poured in, flanked by the guards. Rapunzel was thankful Quirin had a big house and most of them could fit in. 

Captain walked in last, taking a watchful look outside, before closing the door and looking around.

“Can someone explain to me, what’s going on?” He ordered, his voice angered. His eyes landed on Quirin and he frowned. 

“Well, obviously the kid has got some weird Cassandra-like powers now.” Eugene spoke, trying to ease the atmosphere. He failed. 

“I always knew the boy was trouble.” One of the villagers huffed, others expressing their agreement. Quirin looked truly pained, hearing how they spoke of his son, and knowing they were mostly right. 

His gaze landed on the small grey form, cuddled on one of the armchairs. Ruddiger, bless the Sun, was alive, only badly injured. The raccoon was unconscious, one of the villagers thankfully had enough good will to bandag the injury. 

“Quirin…” Rapunzel approached the man and put a hand on his large shoulder. “Do you know what’s happening to Varian?”

The man looked uncertain for a moment, before sighing. 

“It’s my fault.” He finally said, head dropping. “I was there when King Edmund tried to destroy the Moonstone. I thought the explosion of power didn’t affect me, but somehow it must have been moved to Varian when he was born. His blue streak… it’s the symbol of those powers. We didn’t want him to hurt anyone, so we managed to lock his powers away.” He brushed a hand through his hair, unsure how to continue. “I… don’t really have an idea, how he managed to get them back. He wasn’t supposed to.”

“I might have the answer to that.” A sudden voice spoke up and everyone turned to see Cassandra sitting on the windowsill. 

The guards reacted immediately, surrounding her and drawing their swords. She sighed and lifted her hands in a ‘I give up’ motion. 

“Look, I don’t want to fight you… Any of you.” Her eyes landed on Rapunzel for a single second, but she looked away quickly. “You can deal with me later, I won’t run away. But I believe we all have a bigger problem to handle right now.”

For a few moments it was silent, everyone holding their breaths. Then, Captain let out a deep sigh and motioned for his soldiers to stand down. 

“What do you know, Cass?” Rapunzel stepped closer, cautious of the other’s every move. 

“It’s Zhan Tiri. She somehow found a way to release his powers.” The woman replied, shrugging. “I know it might sound crazy, but that demon is real. She’s the reason I…” Her voice subsided mid-sentence and she looked away. Rapunzel understood. 

“If he has the same powers as you do, can’t you do something about it?” Stan questioned, some of the people nodding. “Like, control the rocks or something?”

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” She grit her teeth in irritation. “Look, his powers are inborn. Which means he’s much more powerful than I am. I can’t do anything to stop him.”

“So what? Are we supposed to wait here until he gets to all of us?” One of the village women snarled and Cass cocked her eyebrow.

“I don’t know if any of you noticed, but none of Coronans was attacked or injured.” She pointed out. “Last time I checked, he only went after the Saporians.”

“So you mean… he’s on our side?” Another villager asked, unconvinced. Oh boy, no wonder the kid had it bad. With that kind of neighbours?

“I don’t mean anything. I just said what I saw.” She stated and looked around. “But I also believe he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. So it might be a good idea to stop him.”

“I… I can try talking to him…?” Rapunzel suggested, tugging on her hair nervously. “It’s worth a shot.”

“Let me come with you, Princess.” Quirin offered, his face stern. “Varian is my son and my responsibility.”

The blonde smiled and nodded. She could use all help she can get. She turned, facing the door, a resolve in her heart. She will bring him back. She has to. 


	26. When You See Your Son Rising At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Zhan Tiri, Death   
> If I missed anything, let me know.

In the end, their small party consisted of Rapunzel, Quirin, Cassandra, Eugene, along with the Captain and few of the guards, who were there ‘just in case’. Although the princess tried to argue they wouldn’t be needed, the Captain didn’t take no for an answer. Reluctantly, she agreed they came, only on the condition they let them try talking to Varian first. Ruddiger also tagged along, waking up and refusing to let them leave without him. He didn’t have enough strength to walk on his own, so he was cradled in Quirin’s arms.

When they came back to the battlefield, it looked nothing like they left it. Black rocks covered the whole ground, miraculously, none of them reaching the surrounding houses nor destroying the nearby orchant. Still, the sight was troubling at least, some of the guards taking cautious looks around, their hands reaching for swords. 

It was quiet, all too quiet, taking into an account what happened just few minutes prior. Rapunzel spotted a lone figure standing among the rocks, hair still afloat, eyes lit up and hollow. 

“Varian!” She called out in relief. 

He turned his head in the direction of her voice. The awful half-face grin he had earlier disappeared, making way for the blank expression. His empty eyes stared at her, not a spark of recognition. Rapunzel gulped before calling out again.

“Varian, we’re here to help. Whatever is going on, we can get through it together.” She said, eyes searching for any reaction from the boy. There was none. 

“Save your voice, Sundrop.” A sudden female voice made her flinch. She noticed others tensing up, some of the guards reaching for their weapons. 

A small girl strolled from behind one of the rocks. There was something off about her, besides the way her skin was pale-purplish and she was wearing a dress too formal for the occasion.

“Great, now we’re adding a creepy girl to the party?” Eugene tried to joke but Cass gave him a death glare, before looking at the girl.

“That’s Zhan Tiri, you genius.” She deadpanned and he choked out a laugh. The woman didn’t react, and the said demon smiled slightly, observing her nails. 

“Oh, you’re serious.” He finally said and couldn’t help but feel the chill go up his spine. “That’s just perfect.”

“What have you done to my son, demon?!” Quirin shouted, taking out his sword and pointing it in her direction. Ruddiger growled from where he moved to the man’s shoulders, once the sword was drawn. 

Zhan Tiri sighed before dropping her arm and looking at the party. She was still smiling, which was kinda creepy.

“I just helped him realise his true potential.” She replied, her smile widening. “Call it, finding his destiny.”

“Give him back. Now!” Rapunzel pointed her frying pan at the demon. 

Zhan Tiri looked surprised for a moment, before letting out a bone-chilling laugh. 

“Give him back? No, I don’t think so.” Her eyes narrowed and they could swear her shadow enlarged and shifted into a more sinister form. “Corona is not yet finished.”

“Erm, sorry creepy lady… demon… whatever you are.” Eugene stepped closer and looked around. “I am not sure you noticed, but the kid didn’t do anything to Corona. All of its citizens are safe and unharmed, and there is no damage to the village itself.”

“I don’t think he’s working for you.” Cassandra supplied, smirking. 

Zhan Tiri didn’t look too troubled about the revelation, though. 

“Oh, I just let him have some fun, before I take full control of his body. “She answered plainly and spared a glance in the direction of the boy, who still didn’t move from his spot. “Which shouldn’t be  **that** hard, considering his temporary… absence.”

“What did you do?” This time it was Cassandra who asked the question. She sounded… concerned, which puzzled Eugene for some reason. Was she really worried about the kid?

“Nothing permanent, I assure you.” The demon replied. “But enough chit-chat. If you excuse me.” She turned and her eyes widened in surprise as she met face-to-face with Varian. 

She had only half-a-second to react, before a barrage of black rocks rushed in her direction. She managed to dodge, only a scrap of her dress being cut out. 

The rocks continued in the party’s direction and Cassandra stepped forward, reaching out both hands and grunting in effort. The trail changed course bare inches before meeting the target, rushing past them and stopping few feet away. 

“How? He is not supposed to be conscious!” Zhan Tiri cried, eyes burning with fury. 

Rapunzel stared in shock at Varian, and she could have swore, she saw his eyes turning normal for a spare moment, before becoming hollow again. But there was something different about how he stood. As if he was more in control of his movements. 

He flicked his finger and a single rock sprouted from underneath the demon, sending her flying through the air. She landed painfully few feet further. 

“This is impossible!” She sneered, picking herself up again. “I locked him in!”

“You forget this is my brain.” Varian’s voice was off, like with an echo. But it was him!

“Varian!” Several voices called out. Ruddiger chittered enthusiastically. If he did hear them, however, he didn’t react in any way, his focus solely on the furious demon. 

“I will get my revenge! Corona will crumble under my thumb!” She screeched and launched at him. 

Another barrage of rocks were sent her direction, but this time she phased right through them and barrelled into the boy, hands on his throat. They fell to the ground, an angry mass of shouting and trashing. 

“I’ll kill you if I have to!” Zhan Tiri shouted, hands tightening over the alchemist’s throat. “If I take control shortly after, the powers will still be there!” 

Quirin rushed to his son’s side, only to be blocked by the wall of black rocks, rising between him and the fighting ones. He side-stepped quickly, already moving to find an opening inside. Ruddiger chittered anxiously from his spot on the man’s shoulders, eyes wide in terror. Others followed, concerned about the boy’s well-being. 

“ **GET OFF!!!** ” They heard Varian’s shout, almost feeling the power behind it. Zhan Tiri cried in both pain and surprise. They rushed from behind he corner, finding Varian standing up, panting. His hair were still shining and afloat, but he wasn’t levitating anymore. His eyes were blinking between hollow and normal look. Zhan Tiri was lying few feet away, clenching the bleeding wound on her side. 

“Huh, I would think it would be much harder to defeat a demon.” Eugene said, as he took on the scene in front of him. 

“Normally, yes. But it seems she doesn’t have her powers back.” Cassandra supplied and everyone shot her a surprised look. “What? Am I the only one who noticed that?”

“Cass may be right.” Rapunzel nodded her head. “Maybe that’s why she wanted to take control of Varian’s body. So she has the access to his powers.”

Another enraged cry turned their attention back to the fight. Zhan Tiri was, yet again, rushing towards Varian. Her eyes were filled with rage as she dodged the black rocks, one by one. She was getting closer and closer, Varian getting more and more desperate in protecting himself. They rushed in his direction, but Rapunzel knew already, they were too far away, they wouldn’t make it. 

“Varian!” She cried out with tears in her eyes, as Zhan Tiri was just a grasp away, her hand reaching for his throat. 

And then… she stopped. All of them did, staring blankly at the demon. She, too, wore a surprised expression, not really comprehending why didn’t she reach her target. Her eyes looked down and she froze. 

Black rocks. They caught her right before she connected with Varian. She looked up, meeting blue eyes, still shining but not hollow anymore. They were widened in horror, realization of how close-call it was making the boy freeze. 

She stared at him for a second, before smirking deviously. 

“And what now, Moon Child? Will you lock me up, like the rest of them?” She threw one hand that wasn’t encased in rocks around, showing the trapped Saporians. “I will escape eventually. And I will hunt you down, Moon Child. I will hunt you until you are dead at my feet, your power to my disposal!”

“No.” He replied, eyes shrinking to normal size. “You don’t deserve that fate.” 

His hand rose once again and black rocks continued up her body.

“But this is exactly what you are doing, Moon Child!” She laughed, although only her head was left free. “You think you can run away from your problems?”

“I am not running away.” His eyes were cold as he stared back at the demon. “I am getting rid of them.” 

Her eyes widened in realization but it was too late. Black rocks encased her fully, face frozen in horror. Varian took a deep breath before clenching his fist, grunting with effort. The rock prison shimmered slightly and he clenched his hand further, nails digging in his palm. 

The shine spread to the whole structure, pulsing and glowing faster and faster. And then, suddenly, the rocks shattered. 

Soundlessly, as if they weren’t rocks, but clouds. They slowly fell to the ground, blinking and disappearing without a trace. And with them, Zhan Tiri. 


	27. The Pride In Your Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Death. If I missed anything, let me know.
> 
> This chapter is going to destroy you.

All was silent again. Rapunzel was shock-frozen. And, from the corner of her eye, she could see the others were the same. It wasn’t actually so surprising, given what they have all just witnessed. 

“Varian…?” Quirin took a tentative step forward, reaching his hand towards his son. The boy was trembling, breathing heavily. There were drops of sweat forming on his forehead.

Varian suddenly gasped and fell to his knees, grasping for his shirt over his heart, face squeezed in pain. Quirin and Rapunzel both let out a cry of alarm, rushing to the boy’s side. Ruddiger almost fell from where he was seated, also concerned about his boy’s well-being.

“No!” The alchemist cried, and several black rocks sprouted from the ground, stopping their advance. “Don’t come… any closer!” He breathed out, still in pain, still on his knees. 

“Varian, we just want to help.” Rapunzel argued but the boy shook his head and yelped, as another wave of pain shook his whole body. 

He grabbed for his head now, closing on himself, tears falling down his eyes. The ground shook and rocks grew haphazardly, hitting already existing clusters, creating a barrier between them and the boy. 

The princess yelped as she was suddenly pulled back, staring in shock at the black spire that sprouted where she was standing just a moment ago. 

“Varian! Please!” Quirin shouted over the sounds of growing rocks, his voice desperate. “Let us help you.” 

“I… can’t!” The answer came, the boy’s frame still hunched on the ground, barely visible from behind all the new-created clusters. “Can’t… control it!” 

He let out another cry of pain and doubled over even more, pulling at his hair. 

“Blondie, we have to move!” Eugene’s voice was trembling, as he observed what was going on. “It’s too dangerous. We are too close.”

“No!” She argued, eyes trying to spot the blue hue of Varian’s still-glowing hair amongst the chaos. “I can reach him! I can-!” She was cut short as another black rock rose, nearly impaling her. 

“Princess!” Captain shouted and grabbed for her hand, dragging her away. 

She tried to fight, but the grip was strong. She noticed Cassandra and Eugene running after them, Quirin close behind, dragged the same way she was. Eugene had the raccoon stuffed under his arm, making sure it won’t slip away and hurt itself even more. 

Quirin could get himself free no problem, she noticed, but he seemed to be in too much shock to try anything now. They stopped several feet away, distance too big for the growing rocks to reach them. They seemed to surround Varian, not reaching further than necessary. 

“What in the Sun is going on?” Eugene asked as he panted, his hands resting on his knees.

Ruddiger fell to the grass, letting out a pained yelp. Princess knelt down and picked him up, gently cradling him in her arms. 

“The kid lost control.” Cassandra replied, eyeing the growing clusters. 

“He seemed just fine a moment ago.” One of the guards grumbled and she sent him a death glare. 

“Up until now he was only partly in control. It was more like his subconscious was controlling the rocks, not him.” She explained, eyes back at the battlefield. “When he tried to get full control, it backfired.”

“Is there  **anything** we can do?” The Captain asked. Their eyes met for a second, before the woman looked away.

“I don’t know.” She mumbled, not meeting his gaze. “I don’t know much about this powers to begin with. Everything I’ve learned was from…” She waved her head in the general direction of the rocks and sighed. “And she’s gone, so…”

“We can’t just give up on him!” Rapunzel argued, Ruddiger chittered in agreement. 

“Well, what do you want me to do?!” Cass snarled back, her eyes burning. “You saw what he can do! You saw how I  **barely** managed to change course of those rocks which almost run us through! There is  **nothing** I can do about it!”

“Cass, I-” Rapunzel faltered but the woman was not finished. She turned sharply and stared right back at the blonde, eyes raging with fire. 

“No, listen Raps! Not everything can be solved by you just  **wishing** it will!” She shouted, anger burning. “You can’t assume everything will turn out right just because  **YOU** want it so! When I say there is nothing we can do, I mean  **THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO!** ” 

Silence ringed in their ears, Cassandra standing in front of the princess, panting as if she just ran a marathon. Rapunzel’s eyes were wide open, mouth agape. She closed it, and looked down, reaching for her hair.

“You’re right…” She whispered, voice trembling. “You’re right, but still… I don’t want to give up on him. I don’t want to leave him. Not again.”

“Well, what do you suggest we do then?” Cassandra’s voice was sharp. 

“I… I can talk to-” Rapunzel offered quietly and the woman snorted. 

“Well, that clearly isn’t going to work now.” She said. “Unless you have some grand plan to get through those rocks.”

“I…” Rapunzel faltered, tugging on her hair. Cassandra hissed in response.

“Thought so.” She muttered, turning away. 

“The Final Incantation…” The princess whispered, eyes widening. “Of course! It destroyed black rocks back-” She stopped herself and sent an uncertain gaze at the blue-haired woman.

“Back at my tower, I remember.” Cassandra replied, her back still turned away. “It won’t work. The rocks grow too fast and too unpredictable. You won’t see them coming fast enough to destroy them on time. Not when you’ll be focusing on going in the right direction.”

“What if she only focuses on the rocks, then?” Another voice cut in. They both turned to see Quirin, stepping closer. 

Cassandra grabbed her chin, thinking. After a few seconds, she nodded. 

“That might work. But then, who would-?” She asked but the man interrupted her. 

“I will go.” He said, his gaze determined. “Varian is my son. I… I wasn’t there to stop him the first time he fell. I want to be there now.”

“Quirin, no! This is too dangerous!” Rapunzel argued, terrified. “What if I miss one of the rocks? What if the incantation fails? What if-”

“I trust you, Your Highness.” The man replied, a small smile appearing on his lips. “And I trust Varian. He won’t hurt me.”

“I… Okay.” Rapunzel agreed, nodding. “Alright. Bring him back, please.”

“I wouldn’t do it any other way, princess.” Quirin smiled and she smiled back. 

~~~~~~

It hurt. Everything hurt. His head. His chest. His lungs. Even the roots of his hair. Pain. Pain. Pain. Constant and neverending pain. 

Varian didn’t know what to do. He didn’t quite know what happened. He remembered things like through the fog. The light of the fool moon. The Moonstone shard stuck in his chest. The sudden pain. The power. Zhan Tiri… And now again… pain. 

It hurt. It hurt so much he wanted it all to just stop. He felt tears falling down his cheeks. He felt his fingers pulling at his hair. Stop. Please, just stop!

“Varian!” Someone called and for a moment he thought he misheard. There was no one here. He was alone. And everything hurt. 

“Varian!” The sound was closer now and his eyes opened in realisation, as he recognised the voice. 

“D-dad…” He turned his head to see his father making his way towards him. His eyes widened in horror. No, he shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t come any closer. He shouldn’t-

Another black rock shot up from the ground and went straight for the man’s chest. Varian cried out in alarm. He’s going to get impaled. He’s going to die.  **He** is going to kill his father!

Moments before the rock reached him, gold exploded and the rock was no more. Varian stared at it in shock. What…? How…?

Suddenly, dad was right there, large arms embracing him. 

“No, no, no!” He cried, trying to push away. “No, why? You shouldn’t be here! You’re going to get hurt!” 

“Shhh.” His father’s embrace tightened, warm and safe. “It’s alright, son. It’s alright. You can rest now.”

“No, no, no, no! I can’t control it! I can’t-!” Varian was crying. Why was his dad here? Why was he risking his life for him?

“Varian, it’s alright.” His father’s voice was calm, reassuring. “You don’t need to fight it anymore. You can let it go. You can let this power go. It’s over.”

“No, no, no! If I let go-” He tried to argue, but he couldn’t make the words. 

“It will be alright.” Quirin repeated once more. He sounded so sure. And Varian just… let go.

All of the sudden, everything ended. The pain was gone. His hair stopped glowing, turning black again, falling down gently. His eyes taken their usual blue, not shining anymore. The rocks… the rocks stopped too. 

Varian felt exhausted. He let out a deep exhale, falling limp in his father’s embrace. Quirin panicked, as the boy fell. 

“Varian!” He looked at his son, suddenly so pale. He laid him down gently, eyes looking for any injuries. “What’s going on? What’s happening?”

“M-must have used too much.” The boy mumbled, chuckling a little. So he was only exhausted? But why was he so pale then? Why was his breathing so laboured, so shallow…?

“What do you mean?” Quirin was trembling. What was his son talking about? 

Varian looked up to him, gaze hazy. He smiled gently, as if he knew something. 

“Did you know, dad? This power… it isn’t power at all.” He said, as if it would explain everything. He continued after a short breath. “It’s a… a curse.”

“A… curse?” The man’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you-?”

“The Moon deceives… It promises power but… doesn’t mention the price…” Varian’s breathing was getting more and more shallow. “And the price… Do you know… what it is… dad?”

Quirin felt pricking at his eyes. He didn’t want to believe it. This couldn’t be true. This couldn’t-

“Life…” the boy said and laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh he heard so many times. It was wrong,  **broken** . “So… what I am trying to say….” His blue eyes looked up, staring into his father. “I am dying… dad.”

“No.” Quirin shook his head, tears gathering at the corner of his eyes. “No. Varian. Son, please.”

“I’m sorry… dad.” Varian reached out his hand to touch the man’s cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“No, Varian. You can’t.” Quirin was shaking. He reached out and grabbed his son’s hand, vision turning misty. “ **_Please!_ ** ”

“Dad… Did I… Did I make you proud?” The boy asked, eyes searching his father's face. 

“Varian…” The man’s voice cracked. 

“Dad… please. I… I have to know.” Varian’s voice was barely a whisper now. The movement of his chest so small. And yet, he asked… no, he  **demanded** the answer. 

“Yes… I am proud of you, Varian.” His father answered, throat clenched. The boy smiled slightly, pleased with the answer. “I always was.”

“That’s good.” He said quietly. “That’s all… I ever wanted,” 

His eyes slowly closed, hand slipped from the glove still held by the man, falling to his side. His chest lowered. And didn’t rise. 

Quirin’s breath hitched. He held the single glove to his chest, tears finally flowling. He stared at the motionless body of his son and then his head moved upwards, to the moon. His hold on the glove tightened… and he cried. 


	28. When You See Your Son Rising At Last

Rapunzel was running. The moment black rocks started to disappear, she knew something went terribly,  **terribly** wrong. She left the guards and Eugene to handle the Saporians being freed from their prisons, and ran. 

Her hair trailed after her. She didn’t bother to tie them again, the awful feeling in her stomach pushing her forward. She didn’t know where did it came from or why she felt that way. But she knew, she just  **knew** something was not right. 

Ruddiger somehow managed to cling to her shoulders, chittering anxiously to her ear. He also felt it. He also knew something was wrong, so very very wrong. 

One of the larger clusters blinked and vanished, uncovering the scene behind it. Quirin was kneeling on the ground, his large frame shaking. On the ground she saw another form, unmoving. She spotted familiar clothing and she faltered for a moment before rushing forward. 

“No, Varian!” She cried, reaching the two and falling to her knees. The boy’s eyes were closed, skin pale, chest still. Her eyes watered. “No, why?!” 

Ruddiger jumped down from her shoulders and climbed up the boy’s chest. He pawed at his cheek, moaning. 

“What’s going-? Varian?!” Another voice sounded from behind and Rapunzel heard Cassandra gasp in shock at the sight. “What happened? Why is he-?”

“It was a curse…” Quirin said, his voice hoarse, eyes red. 

“A… a curse?” Green eyes widened in shock and confusion. “What do you mean by-?”

“The power came with a price. The power in exchange for-” The man tried to explain but his voice cracked and his frame shook with another wave of tears. 

“For life…” Cassandra finished, her voice soft, understanding.

“But if he knew, then why-?” Rapunzel asked staring at the lifeless body. 

“I don’t know. I don’t know!” Quirin cried, burrowing his head in his hands. “I really don’t know!” 

The women were shocked. Even Ruddiger ceased his crying, staring at the man. They all knew Quirin as stoic and composed man. He rarely showed his emotions, staying calm in toughest situations. To see him broken like this… it was heartbreaking. 

“He… The last thing he asked me…” the man tried to say, his voice creaking. “He wanted to know, if I was proud of him. If he made me proud.”

“That’s... “ Cassandra looked at the boy on the ground, an awful feeling settling in her stomach. “That’s all he ever wanted.”

Quirin nodded silently, still clenching the single glove. 

Rapunzel stared at the man and back at the lying body. Her mind was spinning. Tightening her lips, she reached for her hair, wrapping them over the boy.

“Raps?” Cassandra’s voice was confused. The princess didn’t react, wrapping more of her hair around the body. “Raps, it won’t work. We’ve already tried it. The magic is gone.”

“No! I have to try!” The blonde argued, her hands trembling. “It can’t… I can’t let it end like this!”

“Raps-” Cass sounded hurt but she ignored it. 

“ _ Flower gleam and glow. _ ” She sang, tears falling from her eyes. “ _ Let your power shine. _ ” There was no glow, like before, like in the tower. But she kept on going.  _ “Make the clock reverse. Bring back what once was mine. _ ” Large tears were falling from her eyes. Still, nothing was happening, nothing was changing. “ _ Heal what has been hurt. Ch-change the Fate’s de-design. _ ” Her voice was trembling. Still, she refused to give up. _ “S-save what ha-has been lost. Bring back what o-once wa-was mine. What on-once was mi-ine. _ ” 

She collapsed on herself, crying into her palms. No glow. No healing power. No movement. 

“No! Please, no!” She cried, shoulders shaking with spasms of tears. “He can’t be gone! He can’t be!” 

“Raps…” A gentle hand landed on her shoulder. 

Rapunzel immediately turned and buried her face in Cassandra’s embrace. She clenched her armor, crying and crying and crying. 

“Raps, I…” Cassandra said and stopped. She took a deep breath and started again. “I might have an idea.”

The blonde moved away, her green eyes searching her best friend’s face for answers. Cassandra sighed again and looked down to her chest. 

“I… If your hair didn’t work, then maybe…” She trailed off, her hand reaching for the stone in her armor. Rapunzel’s eyes widened in realization. 

“You… you think it will help?” She questioned, eyes wide. The blue-haired woman looked down, uncertain. 

“I don’t know, Raps. But…” Her gaze landed on the unmoving form. “It can’t make things worse.”

“And… and what about you?” The princess asked, her eyes concerned. “What if something happens to you?”

“I… I should be okay, I think…” The woman didn’t sound sure, but who could be. The Moonstone was a mystery, similar to the Sundrop. “I… I want to try, Raps.”

“I…” The princess faltered, not sure how she could respond. What if it didn’t work? What if taking the Moonstone will kill Cassandra? What if she loses two friends? What if-?

“Please…” A raspy voice stopped her train of thoughts. Quirin wasn’t looking at them, still grasping the glove between his hands. “I… I can’t lose him. If there is a slight chance it can save him…” 

Rapunzel stared at the man, at the lying boy, at her friend. She took a deep breath and nodded. 

“Okay… yeah, okay. Let’s… let’s try it, Cass.” She agreed. 

The blue-haired woman smiled gratefully. She reached for the stone, her hand hovering in the air for a moment. Then, her brows furrowed with determination and she pulled. 

The stone glowed, power flowing like the rushing wind. Cassandra cried out in pain but didn’t stop, didn’t waver until the stone was separated, lying on her open palm. Her armor disappeared, turning back to her clothes from before. Her hair became dark brown again, eyes changing to natural hazel colour.

She was sweating, panting, her breaths short. Rapunzel reached out her hand but she shook it off. 

“I’m fine… I’m… Let’s do this.“ She moved closer to the unmoving form, faltering only for a second, before pushing the Moonstone to his chest. 

The glow appeared again, but the stone wasn’t fighting this time. She felt it slowly entering the boy’s body, disappearing from her hold. Blue hue wandered his frame, starting from the chest and slowly embracing him wholly. It stayed for a few moments, before dimming and vanishing. 

They stared at the boy, eyes open for any changes. But still… nothing was happening. Rapunzel’s heart dropped. Ruddiger pawed at his cheeks again, moaning.

Suddenly, his hair lit up all ot once, and he sat up, a loud gasp escaping his mouth, eyes glowing luminescent blue. Ruddiger fell down, letting out a small yelp of pain, but staring at the boy in shock. They startled at the movement, and he fell back again, hair turning natural black with one blue hairstripe, eyes closing. 

They tensed, as he fell. And then, slowly, his chest rose and fell. They let out a sigh of relief, observing the slow, regular movements

“It… It worked…” Cassandra gasped, her eyes wide open. “I wasn’t sure it would, but… it worked…”

“Thank you.” Quirin sounded tired, but smiled gratefully at the woman. “For bringing my son back.”

“I…” She startled at the words, her eyes falling at the steady rise and fall of the boy’s chest. A small smile crept up her lips. “You’re welcome.”

They heard a groan and Varian’s eyes slowly fluttered open. They seemed unfocused for a moment, slightly hazy. 

“Varian.” Quirin reached out his hand and caressed his cheek gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Dad…?” His eyes focused on the man’s face, gaze confused. “What happened?”

“You… you died, son.” The man’s voice was quiet, eyes hurt. “I…The princess tried to heal you, but…”

“Heal? But her hair…” The boy questioned. The princess didn’t have healing powers anymore. He remembered, when she tried to heal him, way back during their first encounter. 

“I know, I know. I didn’t work.” His father confirmed and Varian’s brows furrowed. If the princess didn’t heal him, then how..? 

He pushed himself up to the sitting position, eyes searching the surrounding. Ruddiger was on his laps instantly, chittering anxiously and banging his head on his chest.

“Ruddiger! You’re okay!” Varian exclaimed happily, hugging the raccoon. The animal yelped in pain and he noticed the bandages. “Oh… you’re hurt…”

He looked around again. His gaze stopped on the familiar figure, sitting somewhere to the back. But something was off. Something was…

“Cassie, what happened to your hair? And your eyes? And your armour?” He cried out, shocked. The woman cringed at the nickname but didn’t comment on that. 

“I… I don’t have the Moonstone anymore.” She said, eyes downcast. His eyes narrowed, brows furrowing. 

“You… What happened? Where is it, then?” He pushed, mind spinning. How much did he miss when he was…?

“Cass gave up the Moonstone to save you, Varian.” This time it was Rapunzel who answered. “She gave it to you.”

“To me? But how come I-?” He reached for his shirt, pulling it up to take a look at his chest. It looked normal, except for the small moon symbol placed over his heart. He stared at it blankly, trying to comprehend the situation. Ruddiger pawed at it cautiously, but nothing happened. ‘What…?”

“It was never mine to claim to begin with.” Cassandra shrugged. “I just gave back what was rightfully yours.”

“I… What?” Varian was still staring at the small tattoo on his chest. What the hell?

A cough from behind startled all of them. Captain was standing few feet away, hands clasped behind his back. 

“Princess, the prisoners have all been secured. We’ll be escorting them to the capital.” He said, eyes darting around. “What about…?”

His gaze landed on Cassandra and then Varian, both flinching. 

“I should face the trial.” The woman said, standing up and brushing her knees. “It’s fair.”

“Cass-” Rapunzel tried to argue but the brown-haired woman shut her out.

“Raps, I know what I did. I am not denying it.” She turned to her father, her eyes certain. “And I am ready to take whatever consequences await me.”

“Very well.” Captain’s voice was pained but he seemed to approve of his daughter’s decision. She reached out her hands and he cuffed her, eyes apologetic. “And concerning the boy-?”

“He’s not guilty of anything.” Rapunzel cut in, eyes stern. “He didn’t hurt any of the citizens of Corona.”

“But he did aid the Saporians with his-” Captain argued but the princess interrupted him.

“Not out of free will. He was kidnapped and  **forced** to work.” She lifted her chin higher, appearing regal. “He is not to be found at fault for that.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” The man replied, casting a glance at the boy before clearing his throat. “We will then escort the prisoners… and Cassandra, to the capital. Will you be joining us?”

“In a moment, yes.” She replied. Captain nodded and walked away, Cassandra following silently. 

Rapunzel let out a deep breath and turned to Varian and Quirin, the former staring at her surprised. 

“You… you protected me..” He said, confused. “Why..?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Varian.” She kneeled and put one hand on his shoulder, smiling gently. 

“But… The Captain is right. I built those weapons. I  **helped** Saporians attack Corona.” He argued, trembling. Ruddiger chittered, hugging closer to his chest, trying to comfort the boy. 

“But did you do it because you wanted to?” She asked, eyes soft. His gaze locked on hers. He opened his mouth and closed it, lips pursing. “Varian. You didn’t do  **anything** wrong.” She repeated, stressing each word. 

“I….” His head dropped but she could see a small smile on his lips. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Rapunzel smiled back, standing up and brushing her dress. “Now, I have to go back to the castle. But I’ll see you soon, alright?”

“Alright.” He nodded, his father helping him to his feet, Ruddiger taking up his spot on the boy’s shoulders. 

She walked to Eugene, waiting next to Max. She smiled as he offered her a hand to saddle the horse. 

“Everything good, Blondie?” He asked, as he positioned himself behind her, taking up the reigns. 

She looked at father and son, slowly making their way towards their house, the large man gently supporting the boy. She smiled and nodded.

“Yes, Eugene. Everything’s fine.” She replied. 


End file.
